Shadow of Time
by ScionoftheEnd
Summary: ON INDEFINITE HIATUS. Link is accused of a crime he never committed and is sentenced to death! Years later, during troubled times, a mercenary group appears to aide the Hylian forces. But what do these "Seven Sages" have to do with Link? Set after OoT/MM
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: No, i don't own Zelda...but hey, let a man dream

Anyway, this is my first Zelda fanfic and only my second total, please review and tell me what you think and whether i should continue it

* * *

The Beginning

It was raining heavily. It had been all week. Water gathered at the edges of the streets and created small rivers that carried small pieces of debris with it as it flowed towards the drains carved deep into the earth. The once crowded streets of the Market were now deserted. Sellers' stalls, which on a pleasant day were filled to the brim with eager buyers vying for the best position to see or touch the items that were on sale, were alone and desolate. The bright colors of the many awnings and clothing hanging in shop windows appeared to be dimmed by the storm. Everything seemed to have transformed into a dull shade of gray. Even the beggars had abandoned their normal haunts and retreated to safety from the rain elsewhere.

Most likely, they had gone to where everyone else had. The courthouse; a large building with towering arches and gruesome statues of grotesque gargoyles. The domed roof stood out over the tops of every building in Castle Town, making it easy to locate and find a route to through the small town's back streets and confusing alleys. It was at this building that one could find all those who were normally populating the market at this time in the day.

For it was not only the rain that drew people away from their routine life among the streets. It was the thrill of the proceedings of the court today that pulled the people like moths to a flame. It was a highly discussed case. Having been the topic of gossip among the market goers for over a week now, almost everyone was well voiced in the exact details of the charges and what the sentence could be. Inside was crammed full. Some people had taken to sitting on the floor rather than squeezing into the already overflowing benches. Everyone else was pushing and shoving at the doors, trying to force their way to the front so that they could get the best view. Children scurried underfoot, screeching merrily while having no comprehension over what was truly happening. The adults were conversing with each other in low voices, creating a sound not unlike that of bees hovering around their nest. A few snippets of conversation could be heard over the general buzz.

"Murdered-"

"-a young man-"

"-fourteen I believe he was-"

"The whole family-"

"-no witnesses-"

"-noble-"

"-servants too-"

"-acquaintance of the princess-"

All the conversation ceased, however, when two doors opened and more people came in. These people, however, were different from the average population sitting in the viewing gantries. The first door, the one located on an elevated platform, let in the important members of the government.

A voice spoke out, "All rise for the King Daphnes Harkinian the Second, ruler of Hyrule, and his daughter, Princess Zelda."

The king came first, festooned in robes of scarlet lined with a thick, silver ribbon. Underneath he wore clothes of the highest expense, and his neck, wrists, and fingers were adorned with jewelry of gold, silver, and expensive gems. Upon his head sat a large golden crown with diamonds and rubies glinting magnificently even in the low light. His tanned skin was slightly wrinkled and his white beard was trim and neat. His green eyes flashed fiercely.

Following him amidst a circle of guards, like her father, strode the Princess Zelda. Her midback-length, brownish blonde hair was held up in a bun. She wore a pale pink dress and thin, white gloves that extended past her elbows. Around her waist was a cloth belt. Attached to the front of the belt was a large rectangular piece of fabric that ended in a point not far above her feet. Stitched upon it were intricate drawings and many important symbols of Hylian legend, not the least of which was the Triforce, which was emblazoned in a brilliant gold in the middle of this accessory. The fact that her face was contorted in a mix of anger, sorrow, and an overbearing urgency did not detract from her beauty. The tears leaking from her dark violet eyes actually accented her elegant and beautiful features. She sat gracefully on the throne beside her father's. They were both staring down at a lone figure standing in the middle of the room. One with a great sadness, another with great and fiery loathing.

The figure that they were watching with contradicting emotions was a boy, no older then fourteen, who had come through the other door that had opened. His blonde hair was dirtied and matted, his faded green tunic was tattered and filthy. His was staring down at the floor, for he did not dare to look at the King's face while it was in such a rage. His legs were chained together with thick shackles. His wrists were bound so tight behind his back that the ropes were beginning to cut into the skin.

The king spoke, and everyone in the audience held their breath so that they would hear every word. The deep voice resonated throughout the chamber with his words, "Link, son of no one, you are hereby accused of the brutal murder of a noble, his family, and their servants. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The young teenager finally looked up to the king's face. Fierce green eyes bored into blue ones that should have shone brilliantly. But the time that Link had spent in prison while awaiting his trial had taken quite a toll on him. His eyes now seemed almost gray. All life was drained from him. Shoulders that had once been broad and upright now slouched in defeat. He was fourteen years old. No boy should have to face this kind of thing. Of course, Link was no ordinary boy. Four years previous he had gone on a long, difficult quest to save the land of Hyrule from the evil forces of Ganondorf. At that time he had been known as the Hero of Time and wielded the legendary Master Sword. No one but the princess, the six sages, and he knew about it. Time had been reset to its proper course after Ganondorf had been defeated and sealed in the Sacred Realm. The Master Sword had been returned to its pedestal and Link had gone back to his home to catch up on all the time he had lost. But now…

Now he was being accused of murder, a crime which he had in no way committed. He knew however, that the instant he had been pegged as a suspect he was done for. His status in society prejudiced the officials against him. And of course, they completely disregarded anybody else in the noble class of having possibly done this horrible crime. So the blame centered on Link, and he was apprehended and thrown in prison. As he looked into the king's eyes, he saw that there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he was going to convince _anyone_ that he was innocent. They hadn't listened to him before, and they weren't about to begin now. He sighed internally. He might as well go down without a fight, at least than all these people would feel good thinking that they convicted the right man.

He bowed his head again and spoke in a quiet voice, "No, your Highness. I have nothing to say."

The king sat back, his face screwed up in concentration. He slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair, drawing all attention to himself. "It is decided then. Link, you are found guilty of all charges, which includes twenty counts of murder. You are sentenced to death. I suggest you start praying to whichever goddess you follow, for you will be joining her shortly. The date of the execution is set for two days. It will be a public spectacle to make sure no one follows his lead."

The tears flowed more quickly down the princess's face now. She glanced down at her hands, which were curled into tight fists in her lap. She looked back up at the boy she had once seen as a strong, infallible warrior. The boy who was too young to bear these burdens and had been broken due to them. The boy who was now going to be executed for a crime he never committed.

She twisted her hands, knotting the fabric of her dress, coming close to tearing it. _I…I have to do something for him. After all he has down for Hyrule, for _me,_ this end is not one he deserves._

* * *

The prison was dark and dingy. The musty smell of decay hung in the air and cloyed at one's nose. The guards who were on duty stood about lazily, their once highly-polished armor now rusted and dull. These men had long since stopped caring about appearance. They worked at a prison, so what did it matter?

The young princess stumbled through the bare, stone-walled corridors. Her eyes watered at the rank stench and the filth that was literally coating the prison walls. Despite this however, she tried to maintain her composure, though what she was about to do was completely illegal, even for the princess. Zelda froze outside a heavy wooden door and stepped forward to push it open. She was stopped, however, by the guards standing idly on either side.

"Sorry, princess, but on King Harkinian's orders, no one is to see the prisoner."

"I am the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda Harkinian, you will let me pass!" she injected as much authority and threat into her voice as she could muster. However, being only thirteen years old, it did not prove to be enough.

The guard chuckled heartily before looking at her with an amused look on his face. "_King's_ orders little lady. His orders preside over yours. No one is to see him. That's final." He crossed his arms, daring her to argue.

She sighed and then turned back to him. "I was really hoping I was not going to have to use this," she commented quietly as she brought her right hand up in front of her face. She splayed her fingers and concentrated. A faint light began to shimmer around her hand, drawing the guards' full attention. "Sleep well," she stated.

Link's head shot up abruptly as a bright light flashed through the small opening in the door to his cell. He then heard two consecutive _thumps_ followed by somebody playing with the catch on the door. He crouched back in his corner, wondering if the King had decided to curtail the time before his execution. The damp and moldy straw strewn across the ground to provide 'warmth' and 'comfort' rustled as he shifted his weight back on his haunches. He hated this place; he truly did. For somebody like him, a soul used to open space, clean air, and freedom, this cell constricted him. Everyday it felt like more and more of his life was siphoned off. He felt as though he was going to eventually end up an empty shell of what he used to be. _But I'll never live to see that day._

The lock finally yielded to whoever was struggling with it on the other side. The catch sprang open and the heavy wooden door creaked slowly open on its rusted hinges.

Link gasped when he saw who had come. "You!"

Zelda swept elegantly over to where Link sat chained to the floor. "Come, Link, it is time to get you out of this horrid place."

Link looked up with surprised eyes and he spoke in a timid voice, "Y-You…believe me?"

Zelda looked at him with deep, dark violet eyes full of pity. This boy should have never come here. "Yes, Link, I do. You are not capable of such a crime. And even if you were, I would still believe you," she spoke gently as she placed her hand caringly on his arm. He looked down at it, surprise evident in his face. When he saw her right hand glowing faintly, his once-blue orbs grew even wider.

He looked back up at her with an emotion close to fear blaring through his expression. "Zelda, you didn't!"

"Yes I did, Link," she explained as she moved her hands to the metal shackles binding him to the floor. "Using my Triforce piece was the only way to knock the guards unconscious. I am getting you out of here."

But Link was shaking his head. "This isn't right, Zelda. If your father and everyone in the kingdom has seen fit to throw me in here and accuse me of a crime, then we cannot fight them. It is not right." He moved his hands onto hers, effectively preventing her from further freeing him.

She stared at him, mouth hanging wide open and tears beginning to prick the corners of her eyes. "How…how can you be like this even when you're life's on the line for something you obviously didn't do? Link, you're a hero of this land. After all you've done for everyone, the only thing they can repay you with is false accusations and a public death. Does it not make you angry? You can't possibly expect to just sit back and watch this happen?" Tears now began to run down her cheeks for the second time that day.

Link gently wiped them away as he smiled at her. "Zelda, that is exactly what I plan to do. I will not go against the people's will. If what you said was true, and I am indeed a hero, then would it be right to completely disregard the wishes of the citizens who I fought to protect? Besides, if I am no longer needed, than I need to be replaced by a hero more fit for the role. I have served my time, and if, in the future, I am needed again, then something will stop with my execution. Otherwise, I will go and dwell with the Goddesses." Zelda hid her face in her hands and continued to cry. She couldn't bear it. How? How could this boy, a fourteen year old boy, understand and except things on this level? How could he throw away his life for something he had never done? He was going to suffer for someone else's crimes, and he was perfectly okay with it. He was only thinking about others, not even once considering himself. She looked up at him with teary eyes as he gently told her, "Zelda, it is time for you to go. Be sure to wake those guards and erase this experience from their minds. You must trust me here. The Goddesses will intervene if I will be needed further. For now, you must leave. It would not do for you to be caught conversing with a criminal." Zelda stood slowly, as the small droplets of water dripped off the end of her nose. She backed away, her eyes never once leaving his. He smiled the whole time.

Her back bumped the door. She spun around and ran out into the corridor, slamming the heavy door behind her. She leaned over the guards and pressed her hand to each of their heads. Their eyes began to flutter, letting Zelda know she had to leave quickly, for they would wake soon. She walked briskly down and out of the prison building, her head bowed and tears leaving a wet trail to follow behind her all the way to the castle.

* * *

King Daphnes Harkinian the Second was worried. It had been two days since he had sentenced the young boy to execution. Today the boy's head would be taken off in public. Of course, the sentence and the daunting prospect of the execution itself was not what had the King worried. Well, maybe it had something to do with it. The dreams he had been having for the past two nights are what really got to him, however. Dreams that kept him tossing and turning all night, leaving him exhausted and tired in the morning.

The dream was the same, and there was never even the slightest bit of deviation. The general thing about it was that he was being scolded harshly by three deep, powerful, feminine voices. They had made it quite clear what they were so angry about. The boy, the murderer. They were angry that Harkinian had sentenced him to death on such a little basis of evidence. But the king had tried to shun these dreams off. No matter no how hard he tried though, they still haunted him and stabbed a knife of worry deep into his mind. _Maybe I was a bit too brash._ _No, no. That boy is a murderer. He must be dealt with as such. There will be no mercy._ The king lookedout over Castle Town in the early morning light. His own arguments rang hollow in his ears. A deep rumble resounded through the sky, drawing Harkinian's attention to the black storm clouds gathering on the horizon. _There will be no mercy…_

Everyone was there. Every citizen who lived within a ten-mile radius of Hyrule Castle had gathered at the execution grounds. Even a few of the outer species, Gorons and Zoras mostly, could be spotted throughout the massive crowd. They were all watching a small, elevated platform with intense gazes. Upon this stage was a wooden contraption that would force a prisoner to his knees, put his head through a hole and secure it, and put him in the perfect position for the executioner to bring the axe down cleanly.

Link stood not five feet away from this monument to public executions, eyeing it wearily. On the platform with him was the king, the princess, five Hylian guards, and a man dressed in a black cloak with a full-face hood. He was grasping a large, curving axe tightly. Link surveyed the crowd dismally. The people he had fought so hard to protect, the ones he had come close to giving his life for, seemed so eager to have his head taken off in front of their eyes. Among the gathered people though, he saw a few with doubting or sorrowful looks upon their faces. A small smirk ghosted his lips. _At least some people are intelligent enough to see that not everything that is done is right. I leave Hyrule in competent hands. For all I know, the next "hero" is out there in that crowd right now. If he is, good luck to him. And in the Goddesses' names, please do not let him befall the same fate as myself._

The king stepped up and spoke in his commanding voice, "We are all gathered here today to show all the land of Hyrule what happens when one commits horrible acts against his fellow countrymen. Here is a young boy, a murderer. Let his death be an example for all. If they wish to follow his path in life, then they will follow his path in death!" This small speech was met by a tumultuous roar from the crowd. King Harkinian stepped back and motioned to the executioner to proceed.

The thickly built man strode up to Link and gave him a rough shove in the back. The young teen stumbled up to the wooden structure. Upon bashing his shins on it, he fell to his knees. _Heh, this is it. Somehow, I don't think I can say that this is quite the way I pictured dying._ Link looked over at Zelda one last time. His graying eyes met her tear-soaked violet ones. And unspoken message passed between them. _Thank you…and good-bye_ he thought as a guard locked his head into position. Now all that needed down was a swift swipe of the large blade in the hooded man's hands. He rested the blade against Link's neck gently, lining it up so that it was quick and efficient.

Link closed his eyes. His thoughts straying to his home amid the forest and the friends he had left there. Then memories of six people who had greatly affected his life surfaced. He had not seen in four years, and now he realized that he never would. The axe began to swing downward, its course unwaveringly straight.

_Farore…my Goddess…to you I return._

The solid thump of an axe imbedding itself deep into wood resounding around the open square.

It was soon followed by a collective gasp.

The gasp was not drawn forth from the crowd by the image of a youth's head rolling away from a lifeless corpse. No, the gasp was because of pure surprise.

For there, where the axe should have cleanly hewn his head from his shoulders, was the boy. Around his head swirled a vibrant green shield. It was made of pure energy and moved constantly. It had deflected the blade and caused the blow to bury deep into the wood away from the boy's head.

Link slowly opened his eyes. He was not dead. That was the first thought that struck him. The second was that there was a moving green mass of energy above his head. He stared at it for a second. _That must be what saved me._ Link was snapped from his thoughts when a voice filled with power spoke. It sounded inside his head and brought with it visions of beautiful fields of flowers and forest rich in plant and wild life.

_Do not fear, Hero. You will not be harmed, not so long as I am with you. You still have much to accomplish in this life._ Of course, since this was in Link's head, no one else heard it.

The lock on the wooden contraption sprung open. Link stood and viewed his surroundings. The green shield about his head had gone. The king stood with a look of amazement on his face, and Zelda could not have looked happier. Link, however, realized he was still in trouble. King Harkinian turned on him. Although fear burned bright in his green eyes, a trace of defiance could be seen.

"Y-You…" the king stuttered out. He didn't seem of capable of putting a full sentence together at that time. "I-I…I have decided to re-r-rescind you s-sentence," he stated at length. Zelda squealed with joy, but Link's eyes narrowed; there was some sort of catch. "I will deal you with a different punishment." He looked Link square in the eyes before he took a deep breath and continued, "You are hereby banished from the Land of Hyrule for as long as you live." Zelda's joy caught in her throat and threatened to strangle her.

"B-Banished?!" she finally managed to choke out.

Her father nodded, "For life."

"B-But-" Zelda began before Link cut her off.

"Forget about it Zelda. At least this way I won't be dead." He gave her a stupid smile, which did absolutely nothing to dull the sharp pain that was stabbing from deep within her. But he did have a point. She was going to lose him either way, so it was better knowing he was alive than dead.

Harkinian spoke again, "You will be taking a ship to Levenia. You have one day to gather supplies, equipment, and any companions you will be taking with you." Link nodded. He was lucky to be given a day. Though he knew that absolutely no one was going to give sell supplies to a condemned man. And _no one_ would even consider coming along. He was probably going to end up leaving before the twenty-four hours was up. "Now, leave my sight," the king spat harshly. Link bowed and walked from the platform.

He had only two places to visit before he left. He intended to finish the errands he had to make before his banishment quickly.

* * *

The sun was only just beginning to set as Link trudged down the sandy beach towards a ship moored at a lonely dock. It a mighty vessel, painted red and gold. Link could faintly make out the men moving around on board, preparing for departure. He glanced over at the princess treading silently beside him. Her head was bowed and pain was evident in every step she took. She hated Link leaving. She knew that she was never going to see him again; after all, the banishment had been for _life._

They approached the dock slowly, and when they feet touched wood, they stopped. Link turned to meet her stare.

"Zelda-" he began before he was cut off by her arms being thrown around his neck. He relished in the feeling of her pressing so close to him. He responded to her embrace with his own, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her tightly. "I'll miss you," he whispered quietly in her ear. She sobbed silently into his shoulder.

"I'll miss you too," she replied after a few moments. "I wish I had the chance to see you again."

"Maybe someday, Zelda. Maybe I will return to Hyrule. Obviously, my fate in this world in not at an end. Whether it lies in Hyrule or other lands is not up to me." He gazed at her one last time, memorizing every detail of her face and body. He never wanted to forget her. "Now go, forget about me and live a happy life. Just remember that I will never abandon you."

Zelda smiled as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. After that, she turned and sprinted off towards the castle. Link's hand came up and brushed the place where her lips had fallen. He let it drop and turned back to the ship.

_I hope those in the forest won't miss me too terribly._ Link had explained the situation to the other Kokiri as best he could. A lot of them seemed really broken up at his leaving, but he was sure they would get over it with time. Of course, his home had been one of the two stops he had taken before heading for the vessel. The other was something he probably should not have done. It was bound to get King Harkinian even angrier with him, and quite possibly might cause the king to have him executed after all.

Link sighed as he began to walk towards the boat. He could only hope that they did not figure out what he had done until after the ship was away.

"Link, do not leave yet a voice," a mysterious voice spoke behind him. "You still need travelling companions, do you not?" it questioned.

Link turned around to face the speaker, and was surprised to find not one but six figures staring at him. Their bodies were very different from each other, and Link could see that all three main races of Hyrule were represented. It took less than ten seconds for the recognition of who the figures were to register in his brain. When it did, however, his face broke into a broad smile. "Why yes, I believe I do. Are you all here to join me?"

The smallest of them piped up, "Of course. We will go with you, and aid you in any future quests and trials you may have."

"But won't your leaving Hyrule hurt it?" Link questioned.

Now the largest of them threw in his two cents, "No, Hyrule can survive without us. If this situation ever changes, however, we will return."

Link contemplated for a second, then nodded. "Welcome to my travelling group, all of you. I am glad you are here." His comment was greeted with six smiles. With that, he turned and began to board the ship.

"Hey!" called out another voice. Link's eyes widened and he spun around, only to be struck in the chest by a small, fast-flying object. "Don't think you're leaving without me!" it exclaimed.

"Y-You came back?" Link questioned as he stared in shock at the small fairy snuggling against his chest.

"Well, of course. I couldn't let you go on an adventure without me, now could I?"

Link chuckled, "I suppose not." He reached up and tipped his hat slightly. The fairy, squealing with delight, took up her old favorite traveling position. His adventuring group was now complete.

With that, the eight stepped (one rode on a head) onto the ship, and set sail into unknown lands and a future clouded in doubt and uncertainty.

* * *

"King Harkinian!" a guard screamed as he burst into the throne room. His armor was askew and he was panting as though he had just run a long distance. In fact, that is what he had done.

The king, sensing the urgency with which the man moved, slipped from his throne and ran up to him. He placed his hands on the man's shoulders and stared him right in the eyes as he asked in a calm voice, "What is the matter, Frederick? What has happened?"

The man took a few more gasping breaths, though the presence of the king so close seemed to calm his nerves slightly. He eventually managed to explain, "Sir, when I went on patrol, I was assigned to the Temple of Time. When I got there, the Door of Time was open!"

Harkinian's face drained of all color. _Someone had desecrated holy grounds!_ It was a crime that called for instant death, even for a king.

However, that was not all. The flustered man spoke the next sentence very quietly, "Sir..um…that's not all. T-the Ma-mas-"

"Spit it out man!" the king had lost his cool demeanor.

The guard took a deep breath the words gushed from his mouth, "Sir, the Master Sword has been stolen!"


	2. Meetings

Hey, look, an update. yay!

Anyway, chapter two is here, so please review and tell me how you think its going and if i hould keep going or not

enjoy...

* * *

Meetings

Dawn broke blood red and brilliant gold over the horizon. Light slowly crept through the courtyard, fighting off shadow in order to advance its line. The gray stone walls seemed to transform from quiet, sober observers carefully taking note of the actions of the ones within them to colorful protectors that called to their subjects with joy and promises of good times. The multi-colored flowers, gathered from all over the land and organized into designed divisions, opened up to invite in the warmth of the rising sun.

A small rainbow appeared when the rays struck the fountain silently gushing in the center of the whole assembly. In mere minutes the entire courtyard morphed from a place in which one could lose oneself in despair and depression to a world warmly inviting one to fulfill all the possibilities of happiness and freedom it offered.

The courtyard and its garden were much like an ever-changing battle between good and evil. The dark half would have its time of domination in the deep of the night, when midnight's cloak smothered everything, and one could only retain hope by retreating to a world of dreams. The light would return to beat back the dark however, taking over when the sun peeked its golden head over the great volcano in the East. Their times always came the same. They were always in balance.

Recently, however, the already-precarious balance between these two opposing forces had been unsettled. Every night the dark seemed to last longer. The moon cast its silver net over the land more than the sun drowned everything in its bright rays. The black stretched on more and more, and slowly but surely, light was losing the fight. It required more time in order for the dark to retreat for the day and less time for it to spring eagerly forth to once again take its rule of the land.

The beautiful kingdom of Hyrule was dying.

* * *

"I see it, I see it!" exclaimed a small deckhand as he sprinted across the wooden boards of the great galleon. "I can see Hyrule!"

The captain looked down at him from his position at the helm, where he was holding the wheel steadily in his firm grasp. He motioned for a shipmate next to him to take over and stepped down onto deck. He then proceeded to pull from within the confines of tattered greatcoat he wore a spyglass. He extended it and held it to his right eye, looking in the direction the frantically waving boy was pointing.

"T'lads right gent'man," he spoke loudly. His accent was a heavy Cladian mixed with Levenian. He turned to the lad bouncing eagerly by his side. "Run b'low t'decks and tell dem pass'ners wi'll arrive shortish." The boy saluted before streaking down the flight of stairs leading into the bowels of the ship. "Alright, boys, get ready fr t'dock'in. Get out t'goods an make sure th're ready." Several of the men moved off in the direction of the cargo hold while the rest begin to prepare the ropes required for docking. A few even nimbly scaled the rigging to play with the rumpled sails.

And so the great vessel _Sea Scourer_, as the gold lettering on her aft proclaimed, swiftly cut through the deep blue waves and rode on to Hyrule.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered and blinked open as the early morning light struck them. She groaned horribly, realizing that she had left the curtains wide open last night. After all, it had been late into the night that she had finally been able to get to her room. She had been deathly tired, and thus had not even bothered to undress or cover herself. She had just dropped onto the bed and lost consciousness. Even then, her sleep had been broken and fitful, as she was plagued by dreams and visions that brought her awake in a cold sweat several times.

She sighed, remembering the most recent one. It had been much like one she had experienced in the past. She saw her land, green grass lush and full, sky blue and clear, vividly. But it did not last long. Clouds as deep and menacing as night quickly blotted out the sky, diminishing the rays of the sunlight until they were nothing more than dwindling memories. The plants around her shriveled and died and the leaves dropped in bunches from the trees.

In the dream she had had long ago, the one similar to this, the next thing to happen was the appearance of a light. Brilliant and warm, it shone out of the forest. In the midst of it, a boy walked forward, garbed in green. With him was a shining green stone, which seemed to be giving off the light. The light had lanced up at the clouds, blasting a hole through them, once again revealing the bright blue beyond. The boy had continued to advance as the clouds retreated from his presence.

Of course, that had been what seemed like ages ago. Another day, another problem, a different adventure. Now, there was no light to rend apart the evil clouds. Rather, their thickness and darkness grew larger. Nothing could oppose them.

The young lady smiled bitterly. _Of course there's no light. Our hero has long since gone._ She pulled herself into an upright position and stretched long and hard. She felt and heard several joints popping and cracking, relieving some of the built-up tension from her less-than-comfortable slumber. She slid her feet over the side of the bed and stood clumsily. She found her way over to her mirror hanging on the wall. He reflection looked haggard and tired. Actually, that was exactly what she was. There were deep bags under her violet eyes and her face seemed to hold unerasable worry lines. Golden tresses of her hair gently fell down to partially cover her eyes.

She turned from the mirror, unable to look at herself any longer. She stepped to the wash basin situated in the corner and undressed. When she was finished washing, she moved to the large closet which dominated one wall of her huge, magnificently-adorned room. She selected a simple pink dress with matching shoes from the hanging selection. After she had slipped this on, she attached a thin belt made from small crescent-moon shaped gold pieces grafted deftly together. Next she pulled on long white gloves. She crossed back to her mirror, and, braving her reflection, proceeded to apply just enough make-up to make it appear as though she was not a redead. She put in Triforce-shaped earrings and slipped on a silver necklace. Finally, she placed a golden tiara upon her head. As the precious metal touched her hair, a knock resounded at her door.

"Enter," she called. A maid entered, bowing her head as she did so.

"M'Lady, do you require any help?" she questioned.

"Actually, I would like some with my hair," the woman spoke as she moved to the bed. She patted the place beside her to indicate that the maid should sit with her.

She did so before questioning, "And how would her majesty prefer her hair this morning?"

"Something simple, please. Make it small."

"As you wish m'Lady," the maid said as she pulled a thin, simple white ribbon from her apron and began to braid the hair on the side of her lady's head.

Several moments of silence passed before the woman spoke up, "what do you think I should do, Melina?"

The maid didn't seem too surprised to be questioned, as she just kept right on braiding. "Seeing as how I am just a lowly maid, I suppose it is not my place to be making any statements regarding your decisions."

"Melina, I have known you all my life. You have served me faithfully and always given me good advice. Nothing you say will leave the confidence of this room, I swear upon my honor as ruler of Hyrule."

"Your Majesty, don't you ever stake that for a simple opinion! Never!" Melina exclaimed.

"Well, I am sure the people wouldn't mind. As Queen I have done nothing but bring them pain and suffering. I have failed to protect them as I promised to do."

"Begging your pardon, but the current circumstances could not be avoided. Not even by you."

"Wrong, I could have been avoided. If I had been faster, smarter, and more strong-willed, I could have opposed my father all those years ago. I could have stopped him, " she said quietly.

"Your father did nothing wrong, m'Lady. What good would have come of opposing him?"

The woman clenched her fist. She has forgotten (again) that nobody knew about the adventure from years ago. Nobody remembered the hero who fought so valiantly for them. "Forget it. Instead, I need to focus on how to handle the problems we have now."

Melina smiled. "Now that sounds like the Princess Zelda I admired when I was younger," she said as she dropped the finished braid. It was woven with the thin ribbon, creating a plain look that helped actuate the queen's elegant features. The rest of the queen's golden hair flowed down to the middle of her back. It was loose, just the way she liked it. "Now let's go, Your Majesty, I believe you have people to meet with."

* * *

"I'm telling you, we should have taken a left back by that sign."

"And I'm telling you to shut it!" exclaimed the man who was the target of the first voice's chagrin. He wore a cloak of deep black that covered all his features, the hood was drawn up and upon his face was mask of equal darkness. Black gauntlets covered his hands from forearm to fingertips.

"But we are going the wrong direction," the first voice replied. This came from a figure dressed in the same garb, except that his clothing was all yellow. He had no gloves on, revealing hands gnarled with age. His whole figure was more rotund and less physically fit than that of the black dressed man.

"Light, please stop giving Wind a hard time. After all, he is the leader of our group. He has been on the most adventures and has the most experience."

"I agree with Forest," indicating the one who had spoken, who was dressed in the same garb of the color green, a red-clothed figure spoke up.

"You always do, Fire," spoke a voice from the center of the group. Dressed in blue, the person continued, "But in this case, so do I. Shadow, Spirit, what do you to think? You normally float around and offer advice when needed."

The two in the back, dressed in deep violet and orange, glanced up. Spirit shrugged, while Shadow spoke up, "I believe we should trust Wind's judgement. He has been all over this land and has a keen sense of direction."

"But-" Light began.

"We're here," Wind stated. Light looked up to find that they were, indeed, right where they had wanted to be.

"Ganon's great beard, how does he do that everytime?" he asked.

"Like Shadow said," Wind replied, tapping his noggin, "keen sense of direction. Now all we have to do is arrange some transport to the castle so we can pay a visit to the dear queen."

"I'll handle it," Light said as he entered the building.

"So, what shall we do until he comes back?" Forest asked.

"Well, I thinking we co-" Wind started before he was cut off by a loud siren. "What in the Goddess' names?" He turned to see a crowd of people surging past them, clogging the street. They were screaming and yelling in fright of something.

It didn't take Wind and the others long to see what. The whole group was being pursued by a rampaging gang of men and women. They were dirtied and appeared slightly crazed. They all wore the same thing; loose black trousers with black tunics. They were screaming as well, but unlike the other group, they were crying out in what seemed to be joy, not fear. They passed by Wind's group without even a cursory glance.

Wind quickly took note of their position before speaking in an urgent voice, "Shit!" he spun to the remaining members of his entourage. "We have a problem. In this harbor town of Hollo, there is a maximum-security prison. It's for the worst of the worst. Guessing by the little spectacle that just passed us by, I would wager that it's security wasn't quite as high as they thought it was. So now we have a choice to make. Help the people being terrorized, or wait for Light to get back and hightail it outta here." There was absolutely no hesitation, even before Wind had finished speaking, the others were moving. They took off down the street in pursuit of the escaped convicts. Wind set off after them. _Haha, too bad Light. This will be over by the time you return. You always seem to miss the fun._

* * *

Zelda sighed and rubbed her temples soothingly. It was not helping too much though. Things were going from bad to worse with the High Council. All they did anymore was scream about her poorer character traits and opposed everything she did or said in loud voices. In fact, that was what they were doing right now, which resulted in the skull-splitting headache she had acquired. It felt as though something was building behind it as well.

"If you think for one second, _Your Majesty,_" the man who was speaking spat the words with harsh contempt, "that we are going to go against your father's wishes and repeal _any_ of the laws that he laid down, you are seriously mistaken."

"Lord Polik, I am merely suggesting that we bend a few of the decrees made by the past Hyrule ruling class that would be helpful to us," the Queen replied in a forced calm voice.

"As I have already stated, we will not, under any circumstances, repeal or adjust anything done in the past. The only reason Hyrule has survived for as long as it has is because it has always had a stable set of laws and rules. If we break those now, Hyrule could fall apart."

Zelda's eyes flashed dangerously as she spoke through gritted teeth, "In case you haven't noticed, Lord Polik, Hyrule is _already _falling apart. We are being destroyed and dominated piece by piece and we still haven't come up with a way to stop it. That is why we need changes. It's the only way we will get out of this alive."

The man was already shaking his head, along with several others along the table. "It will never hap-" Sir Polik started.

"Shut up for a second, man!" a deep voice cried out. It was the leader of the Goron Tribe, Link. Named after the great hero who saved the land, the Goron had shown his support for the queen anytime the opportunity arose. "Actually consider the Queen's request before flippantly dismissing it. What are you afraid of, change? Or perhaps you fear that is something is adjusted, you won't have what you have now. You might have to actually suffer a little."

"Link, enough," the Queen spoke. "Thank you for your support." _At least somebody here has a set of brains in their head. I only wish that King Zora was here as well. _The Zoras had not been heard from in quite some time, and the enemy army appeared to have already taken hold of Zora's Domain. It was unfortunate. The Zoras had been stern supporters of Zelda, and their opinion held a high sway over the Council because they were the guardians of all the water in the land. The pressure lurking in the back of her head increased. She looked up before continuing, "You all must see the situation from my viewpoint. An army has randomly appeared in Hyrule; controlled by dark magic of whose we do not know. They are well trained, coordinated, and far too much for even our great soldiers to handle. They are slowly conquering Hyrule, having over half of it under their control already. The people are suffering and dying, and our soldiers are barely able to hold them off. I am the Queen, yet I cannot do anything. I am restricted by an ignorant, arrogant, council made mostly of pompous fools and by archaic laws that forbid even the declaration of martial law. How can I fight such a problem with so little resources and such opposition?"

There was silence in the vaulted room after this speech. It was mostly due to shock. She had just insulted the most powerful people in Hyrule next to herself. Did she really think she would get any support from them now? However, a few were taking her comments and thinking them over. Was that really the problem preventing Hyrule from fighting back, the old laws and rules?

Lord Polik was the first to recover and speak, "If your father had lived to here that come from your mouth…"

That did it. The anger and frustration that had been building inside of her overflowed, along with the pressure hidden underneath her headache. She stood suddenly and slammed her fist down on the table, cracking the wood up the middle all the way to the other end. Splinters flew into the air as everyone gasped. Zelda's eyes were burning ferociously, and blue sparks of magic raced up and down her limbs and hair. The majority of the Council cringed in fear from her, but a few looked on with fascinated awe. Zelda managed to bite out through bared teeth, "Don't…ever…speak…of my father…like that…again." She spun on her and exited the room, slamming the door as hard as she could behind her.

Zelda stalked off down a corridor with no sense of direction. She took random turns and hidden pathways, letting her feet guide her to where they wanted. When she finally had cooled off enough to notice where she was, she found herself in the courtyard garden. It has always been a place of peace and serenity to her. She smiled faintly as she remembered the days she used to spend as a child running through the bright garden beds, laughing senselessly. Those had been the better days of her life. Back when _he_ had been there. She sensed a faint presence behind her and tilted her head to acknowledge the person.

She turned, expecting to see one of her Sheikah bodyguards, most likely concerned by her release of magic earlier, but she was confronted with an unfamiliar figure. A glint of steel caught her eyes, and she realized with horror that the person had a sword, and he looked prepared to use it. However, when the man bore down on her, she stood her ground and easily disarmed him. She spun around behind him and delivered a flat palm to the center of his back, using magic to make sure he went down. The man collapsed into a boneless heap.

She sighed. This just was not her day. First she got a small amount of sleep, then she had to deal with the High Council, and now assassination attempts had been added to the list. It was probably the lack of sleep and the overall frustration of the day that caused her to miss the other man now sneaking up behind her. As it was, she could not even let a small shriek out when he grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth as his other lifted a knife high. It swooped in, aiming for her throat. Zelda shut her eyes, she could do nothing to stop him, and she knew she was done.

* * *

"This way please," the servant spoke as he led Wind's group through the winding hallways of the castle.

"Okay, so, let's try this again," Wind said. "We just showed up at the palace escorted by a bunch of guards, and you're letting us see the princess why? Not that I am complaining, that's exactly what we wanted, but still."

The servant looked back over his shoulder before answering, "You have done Hyrule a great service by taking care of those demons we call prisoners. It is only right that you should see the princess after such a deed."

"Oh well, alright then. Anyway-" Wind's word stopped in his throat as something pricked at his conscious. _What was that? Magic?_ He looked back at the expectant face of the butler.

"You were saying, sir?" the man questioned.

"Ah, nothing," Wind waved away the question with his hand. They continued on for several minutes with nothing but silence.

Something was making Wind feel uneasy though. The air seemed to be charged and waiting for something. The spark of magic he had felt earlier seemed to be linked with it. Nothing had happened, but the tension was thick enough that he was beginning to feel smothered. _What the hell is going on? _The answer was not long in coming.

It flared up suddenly and without warning. The pressure in the atmosphere broke and forced itself upon everyone. _A killing aura?!_ Wind wasted no time. He grabbed the servant and spun him around as he screamed at him, "Where is the Queen?!"

"I-I don't know, sir," he stammered out, surprised by the sudden change in his guest's manner.

"Din's fire!" He spun to his group, "Go, search for the Queen, find her and protect her, something's going on, and I think its aimed at her." They nodded before sprinting if in different directions. Wind closed his eyes and concentrated, ignoring the cowering man next to him. _Harder, harder. Search harder. _ In his mind, he flashed through corridors and closets, bedrooms and bathrooms, washrooms and dining rooms; none of them contained what he was searching for. _Damn, damn._ And suddenly, it was there. He emerged into the courtyard with his mind, and was almost drowned by the murderous intent permeating the place. He opened his eyes and instantly shoved his hand into the equipment pouch at his side. _Only one way I am going to make it there in time._ He removed a green crystal and held it up in his hand. Wind closed his fist around and it, crushing it. The next instant, he was enveloped in a bright green light, and disappeared.

* * *

The knife was a mere inch from Zelda's throat when a green flash caught the corner of her vision. The next instant there was a harsh _thwack_, and the knife clattered to the ground, along with her assailant. Zelda followed, collapsing to her knees. She turned to see a man standing where the assassin had been until moments ago. He was completely dressed in black, including a mask. But that was not what caught her attention about him. _That spell, that was Farore's Wind! How can a simple traveler use that?!_

The man smiled, barely visible through the slit for his mouth left open in the mask. He held out his hand to the queen as he spoke, "Your Majesty, are you alright?" She gingerly took the offered help and climbed to her feet.

"Yes, I am. But who, sir, may I ask, are you?"

"Ah, that is right, we have not been introduced yet." He bowed deeply. "My name is Wind, and I have come from far away to assist you."

"Assist me?"

"Yes," Wind said as he stood up, still smiling. "I do believe I can fix this war for you."


	3. Mannequins and Magic

Holy freaking crap, its an update!

sorry it took so long guys, i had a bit of writer's block

anyway, here's the new chapter, please review when you're done

enjoy...

* * *

Mannequins and Magic

The throne room was silent. Wind had just finished his explanation to the queen. However, rather than the direst denial he had expected, Zelda had surprised him by taking the suggestion in contemplative silence. However, just because the queen was calm and collected, did not mean that everyone in the room felt the same way.

The guards were almost bursting out of their highly polished armor with nervousness. An assassination had just been attempted on their queen, and now she was meeting with a bunch of strangers who had not been checked and cleared prior. They had blown off the guide that was supposed to lead them to security station around the same time that the queen claimed someone had tried to kill her. So of course, the guards were on edge, adrenaline almost visibly pulsing through their veins. Their eyes picked up every slight move, their ears heard even the most inaudible sound, and their remaining senses scanned the surrounding area for any change in the air that might have indicated a harmful attention. If anyone so much as even glanced at the queen with anything resembling hate, malice, or dislike, the guards would pounce. This is what they had been trained for; this is what they were prepared to do.

Wind planned on giving them no opportunity to display their hard-honed skills, even though he knew that they would be no match for his group. No man in the Hylian army would be able to stand up to them. Which is why he had made the proposal that he had to the queen. He had not beaten around the bush, getting straight to the point. He had revealed that he and his band were mercenaries, and powerful ones at that, known as the Seven Sages, and that, for a price, they would join the ranks of the Hylian soldiers and fight alongside them. Wind had thought that this initial suggestion was going to be rejected immediately, but the queen had actually stopped and thought about it.

Zelda needed to make a decision. Normally she would have merely turned this group down flat-out, not even giving them a chance to explain their reasoning. However, Hyrule's situation was desperate. The black army was advancing steadily, destroying everything in its path. The Hylian army had put up a strong resistance, but the army barely seemed to slow. Zora's domain had already been lost, and the Gerudos had not been heard from in quite awhile. They had either befallen the same fate as the Zoras, or they had holed up in their fortress against the maelstrom that was now Hyrule. If these mercenaries were truly as powerful as they made out to be, she could really use their help. Still, she was filled with trepidation. She knew nothing of these people and their motives. Although they had saved her, she still could not shake a feeling of suspicion and untrustworthiness. One of them, the one who appeared to be the leader, Wind, had even used of the ancient spells. How? Only a select few from Hyrule could ever have used it. The crystals were rare enough within the land itself, but outside? That was unheard of.

Zelda sighed into her hand. She really did not have too much of a choice. She was desperate and her confidence was beginning to flag. If these people could help Hyrule it was worth the risk. If they couldn't, well then it was just another decision she had made which came to nothing productive in the end. She glanced back up at the group and looked them over. Their appearance was odd. Their matching dress was not the only thing that was similar. Normally people would be of a wide variety of shaped and sizes, but they all seemed to be within the same height and weight range, except for the yellow one, he was more rotund than the rest. The differences were only a few inches. Each one had the bodily shape of an average adult Hylian. It was strange. The ones dressed in purple, green, orange, and blue appeared to be females, but Zelda could not be sure; the cloaks did their job well.

She looked the group over one last time before speaking slowly, "Alright, I'll except your offer. You may fight alongside the Hylian army, and we in turn will pay for your services." Various shouts rang out from the soldiers surrounding the princess. She silenced them with an outstretched hand. "I know many of you disapprove of this, but Hyrule is in great need. We need as many skilled men fighting as we can get. If these people can aid us, will any of you stand against my decision?" No one spoke up, so Zelda turned her attention back to Wind. "Is there anything else you require, sir?"

Wind seemed to ponder for a second, "Well, actually, there is." Zelda's eyebrow rose; she did not like the tone of voice he had used. "Although there will be a price of money to be paid, we also would like one more thing from you."

"That would be?"

"We require you're _personal_ help." That did it. The guards that had been standing on the side dancing nervously from foot to foot burst into action. They truly had no real reason for attacking, but they did not like these people and they could link their demanding for the queen's help as a way of putting her in danger. Zelda tried to calm them down before a fight started, but they were past the point of listening. The rushed onward, muscles bulging and weapons gleaming.

It was over in a flash. Zelda could not even follow the movements with her eyes. The next thing she knew, her guards lay scattered in various positions across the floor. Though none looked as though they would require serious treatment, each had been knocked hard and seemed to be in a daze. The strangers were standing just as they were before, looking for all the world as if they had not just taken down a platoon of soldiers.

"I suggest you keep a tighter leash upon your subjects next time, your Majesty."

Zelda glared coldly back at him. "Bear in mind, Sir, that you are nothing but a mercenary being paid for assistance. I can and will have you executed if you persist in this manner." Although her exterior was calm and collected, Zelda's mind was whirring quickly. She was afraid and yet excited at the same time. Afraid of the power these people possessed. She was not even overly confident that her Sheikah bodyguards (who seemed to be lacking in the security region today) could even handle them. If they wanted to hurt her, they would have no problem. However, she was excited because of the same thing. This power would cause the army's strength to take a powerful leap. She forced herself to once again think in the present. "I cannot give you my personal help. I must stay here to run the country. If I do not, everything will fall apart and you might as well have been hired by the enemy. I am sorry, you will have to concede this point to me."

Wind thought for a second. _Damn, I was really hoping she was gonna come with us. Having the legendary Zelda added to our group would have boosted our power massively._ He sighed loudly. "Fine, your Majesty. We'll go, but keep in mind that since you have denied this added price, the other goes up." He turned and, motioning to his group, began to walk from the throne room.

Zelda spoke to his departing back, "Go to Lon-Lon Ranch and speak with General Kavt. Show him the letter one of my assistants will give you at the door. If you need directions, just ask the assistant." The door shut, and the group was gone. The guards (only those who had recovered) visibly relaxed as Zelda let out a sigh.

That had taken more out of her than she had thought it would. The last request by Wind has completely caught her off guard. However, she had liked the idea. She had liked the idea a lot._ Maybe…_ The queen rose, and walked swiftly out into the hallway. The instant she passed the threshold, Melina fell into step behind her. Zelda gave her a swift glance, telling her without words not to speak until they were secluded in the bedroom. When they had reached her room, she locked the door and spread a few sound-sealing spells around the perimeter, securing them from being heard.

Zelda rounded on her maid, "Now listen, Melina, and listen carefully. There is someone in the castle I want you to find and give the instructions I am about to tell you. He is my personal bodyguard and the only true member of the Sheikah clan left. However, he has been in a deep slumber for awhile, which explains where he was today. Now here is what you should do…"

* * *

General Frederick Kavt was a tall, strongly built man with fiery red hair, though white could be seen beginning to creep in. He was well known for his unwavering leadership and cool-headedness in battle. He had been placed in charge of the Hylian army in the current war because he was quick and decisive, not to mention extremely strong. He had done what he could so far, and with the resources he had been given, he had done an excellent job of slowing the enemies' advances. However, his resources were not renewable. Those of his soldiers who had not already died were worn and weary, no longer as filled with fighting spirit as they had been when their homeland had first been threatened. Swords, shields, and armor were all in shoddy repair and the supply of each was dwindling.

Obviously, General Kavt was none-too-pleased that a group of mercenaries now showed up claiming to be sent by the queen to join the army. However, his mood changed slightly then they explained that they would supply themselves and would be completely self-sufficient. As such, he led them through the ranch to the main headquarters, located in the one-time house of the ranch's owners.

As Wind walked behind Kavt with a measured pace, he glanced around him, surprised by the changes in the ranch. The last time he had been here close to twenty horses had roamed freely in and out of a large corral that had taken up the center of the complex. Now, a small fenced-off paddock to the side contained around a dozen horses, and the center was now cleared devoid of fencing and being used as a place to stockpile equipment. Tents covered every other inch of the ground, leaving only a narrow trail to traverse the camp with. The barn had been converted into a medical building, and wounded men made their way (sometimes with and sometimes without help) to the door.

_Din's fire, Hyrule has truly changed. This isn't the Lon Lon Ranch that I knew._ Wind sighed. He supposed it was to be expected. After all, he had been gone for a while now. _I guess I just never thought that even this place would be so affected._ They entered the house that served as the planning room. There was a large, round table positioned in the center with a massive map of Hyrule spread out on it. Multi-colored marks were spaced across it, and words and calculations were scribbled in the margins.

"As you can see," Kavt spoke, "we are fighting a losing battle. The enemy has already taken Zora's Domain, Gerudo Valley, Lake Hylia, the forest, and over half of Hyrule Field."

Wind made a low whistling sound. "They even got the forest? Damn they're good."

"Yes well, we already knew that."

"What type of enemies are we going against here?" Wind asked as he bent over the map. Shadow looked at the map over his shoulder.

"Well, we're not really sure. They aren't actually soldiers, more like puppets made and controlled by dark magic. Which is what makes them so powerful. They are hard to kill and often do not stay down even if we do succeed in finishing them." He sighed.

"Alright then, General, where do you want us deployed?"

"It doesn't matter that much to me. Anywhere you decide to fight could use your help. The heaviest of the fighting is occurring in Hyrule field near Zora's Domain. We're trying to win it back and free any surviving Zoras so that they can aid us. Especially in reclaiming Lake Hylia, they will be indispensable."

Wind nodded; the plan made sense. The Zoras were fierce fighters within their own territory and especially in the water. From what he had gathered, they had only been taken because they had been caught by surprise and their king had been captured and threatened. Of course, wanting to protect him, they let themselves be subdued and imprisoned.

"Alright, General Kavt, if you don't mind where we go then we are going…" Wind's eyes traced over the map before he placed his finger down right at the entrance to Zora's Domain, "here."

Kavt raised an eyebrow, "Plunging straight into the big stuff, are we?"

Wind smiled, though the general could not see it through Wind's mask, and spoke, "We're mercenaries in the employ of the Hylian army, so of course we're going to throw ourselves into the thick of the battle. We will aid you as much as we can."

* * *

Wind and his group swept out of Lon Lon Ranch and oriented themselves toward Zora's Domain. Wind sighed, "This is going to be fun."

"C'mon boss," spoke Forest, "we've had plenty of fights like this, we'll be fine."

"I meant, quite literally, its going to be _fun._ Do you have any idea how long its been since I could actually _fight_?" Forest giggled; their leader was a strange one, that was for sure.

"Wind, ahead of us," Light whispered urgently.

Wind turned around to be confronted by a dark mass of enemies. "So they decided to attack the Hylian Army's headquarters, eh? Well, since we're here, what do guys say, should we take them out on our way along?" Upon seeing his companions' heads nod, he turned back around. "Be quick and efficient." He glanced back over his shoulder at them. "Power release level 2, feel free to utilize your weapons."

Water started at this, "Are you sure, Wind?"

"Yes," he replied as he cracked his knuckles. "These creatures are created and controlled by dark magic, so Level 2 is perfectly acceptable."

"Should we inform Kavt?" Light questioned.

"Nah, we can handle this no problem."

"Whatever you say."

With that, the enemies were upon them. To Wind, it was apparent that dark magic was woven into their very beings. They were strange creatures. Almost like ReDeads but they had flaring purple eyes and they're skin (what little of if there was on their skeletal figures) was the deepest black. They seemed to actually be able to think rather than just walking around and shrieking like said zombie creatures. Long, razor sharp claws protruded form their fingers, toes, ankles, elbows, and knees. A few carried broad swords or wooden bows, but the majority came into combat unarmed, excluding their claws.

One ran up to Wind and slashed at him. He merely took a step backward, dodging the attack. He planted his right foot, spun, and delivered a kick with his left to the creature's chest that would have shattered a man's ribcage. The creature (a 'mannequin' as Wind decided to call it) flew backward and smashed into the ground. However, the next second it jumped to its feet, seemingly none the worse for wear. _Damn, Kavt was serious. They're tough bastards._ He looked at the rest of the team.

They had easily dispersed the first wave, but they had realized the same thing that he had, the mannequins would not fall so easily. With that, they obeyed Wind's earlier order and proceeded to draw weapons from within their cloaks. Shadow unsheathed a small wakizashi. Spirit produced two Gerudo-style scimitars while Fire pulled out a large warhammer. A trident appeared in Water's hand and a bow in Forest's. Light merely held a gnarled wooden staff with a pale yellow crystal nestled in a snaggle of twisted wood at the top. Wind himself had no weapon._ Technically, I do. But I have no reason to use _that_ here. _He charged magic energy into his hands until they glowed faintly. _Alright, little beasties, let's go._

This time, when the creatures attacked, they were utterly devastated. A volley of arrows from Forest brought down twenty or so from the front line. Spirit and Shadow charged into the midst of the enemy, the one a complicated whirl of dual blades while the other performed a graceful dance of steel and death. Pieces of the enemy flew off in all directions, and not once did they rise again. Water leapt onto the end of Fire's hammer. Fire in turn spun and swung the giant warhammer, launching Water at the enemies. Water held out the trident and impaled mannequin upon mannequin upon it. Fire brought his hammer down again and again, smashing the enemy soldiers completely. Light concentrated upon any group left standing, sending balls of pure energy right into the center of them, causing large magical explosions that tore through the mannequins like a light arrow through Ganondorf. Wind moved from one opponent to the next, beating them harshly with his magically enhanced fists. Another punch and another adversary was felled.

The mannequins' number was dropping, but still there was a good deal many of them. They seemed to suddenly think better than to continue charging Wind's group without a strategy, as they dropped back a slight bit and seemed to be waiting. Wind used this opportunity to gather his group. "So what do you guys think, bad?"

"No, they're easy to finish off, but they just doesn't seem to be any end to them," Spirit spoke.

"Its like they are all being coordinated at once, as if they all share one mind," Shadow threw in.

Wind pondered for a second. "Well, they are controlled by dark magic, so maybe there is a magician in there that directs the mannequins in combat."

"Mannequins?"

"That's what I am calling those things." Wind shrugged his shoulders. "Either way, just look for one of the creatures that doesn't move like the rest or seems to be different in some fashion."

Suddenly a horrible screeching sounded split the air and attacked everyone's ears. Wind spun around to face the mass of enemies, expecting an attack. He was surprised to see a bright flash of light followed by a bursting sound of crackling energy. The mannequins all slumped over, they're eyes now dead, empty sockets. Wind looked up at the one figure left standing. It appeared the to be same as its fellow creatures, except for the red runes carved all over its body. As they watched, its burning crimson eyes faded and died. Wind took note that the creature was hovering in the air, around half a foot off the ground.

Suddenly, the dead body was tossed aside and the figure behind it stepped forward. He was dressed in a skintight violet-bluish body suit with a high white collar that extended up to just below his crimson eyes. The top of his head was wrapped in cloth, letting dirty-golden locks hang down over the his face. His forearms and tips of his finger were wrapped in the same fashion. On his chest rested a large white square of cloth. Emblazoned upon it in red was the eye and teardrop of the Sheikah clan crest.

"The creatures become much easier to deal with when you take out their controller," the man stated simply.

"And who might you be," growled Fire, his hammer at the ready.

"Relax, I am a friend." He bowed deeply before straightening up and continuing, "My name is Sheik. I am the last of Sheikah clan and Queen Zelda's personal bodyguard. And before you ask, I have been in a magic-induced sleep for a while now, waiting for the time when the queen would truly need me."

"So that's why you weren't there today?" Wind asked.

"Correct."

"Alright, one more question. Why are you here?"

"To help you, of course. You requested my Majesty's personal help, and since she couldn't come herself, she sent me, her _personal_ bodyguard."

Wind seemed stunned for a second. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Certainly is a politician isn't she, playing with my words like that." He turned back to Sheik. "Alright then, you may journey with us. From now on we will refer to you as Time, got it?"

"Yes, sir Wind."

"Good. Let's see if we can help some Zora's then, shall we?"

* * *

A/N: gasp its sheik!

yes, i wanted to include sheik in this fanfic so badly, and now i get to, heh-he )

i will be referring to sheik as a he, no matter if it is zelda in disguise or not

thanks for reading, and now, please review!

btw, bonus points to anyone who can tell me where we've seen general kavt before


	4. Breaking the Ice

Hey guys

quickly ducks behind rock to avoid the death thrown at him by angry fans

yes, i know, its been months since i updated. for this i apologize. my summer was decently busy and the instant school started i was swamped with work, so i haven't had much time. You guys get a bonus though, this chapter beat the average 3300 words i aim for in chapters by a full 2000 words!

so without further delay

enjoy...

* * *

Breaking the Ice

"There's no way we're getting through directly up the river, it's impossible."

A sigh escaped Wind. He looked up at the speaker, a scraggly young man with long brown hair and dull gray eyes. This was Commander Wingling, a pessimistic foot soldier with absolutely no leadership or tactical skills whatsoever. The only reason he was in charge of the group of Hylian soldiers assaulting Zora's River was because all of his commanding officers had died in battle. Even then, he had used money to reach the rank that had put him in this position. Now that he was here, he was sastified just to sit around and wait all day while the enemies constantly rushed his troops and wore them down, claiming that they were too weak to fight back.

And the line that he had just given Wind, he had already given him twenty times since Wind arrived. Which was about half an hour previous.

Wind was sick of it. He glared at Winston before speaking to him through gritted teeth, "If you say that one more goddess-forsaken time, I'll feed you to the Mannequins myself."

Winston scoffed. That was another thing about this man Wind hated. He was as arrogant as Ganondorf was dark and evil. "You wouldn't dare. You are mercenaries who are working for _me_, to show disrespect to me if to commit treason against this kingdom. _That_ would mean your execution."

The blow came far faster and with much more precision than the commander could have thought possible from the black-robed man sitting across from him. Wind's hand struck him, open-palmed, directly in the center of his chest. Cracks spider-webbed out from the point of contact on his armor as Wingling was launched backward out of the tent's flap. A cloud of dust rose around him as he slammed into the ground and rolled back over himself.

He lay there spluttering for moment before leaping to his feet, his hand already moving to the sword sheathed at his side (completely unscathed from lack of combat of course) but stopped when he felt the cold steel of a blade pressed against his throat. And his arm, stomach, and heart. Instantly sensing the conflict that had arisen between Wind and Wingling, the remaining Seven Sages had taken up positions in which to best protect their leader. Of course, he did not really need their help, but it was more for the effect of fear that he allowed them to do this. It appeared to be working too. Wingling's legs were shaking and his brow was glistening with sweat.

Wind strode threateningly toward the cowering man. He loomed over him and leaned down into his face. Wingling could see the anger burning in the black eyes presented to him through the holes in the mask. "Don't you ever, _ever_, talk as if you give _me_ commands. I am not working for _you._ I am in the employ of the _Hylian Army_, something which I am happy to say you are not a part of, at least you won't be for long."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Wind laughed. "What I mean is that General Kavt himself will be coming down to this camp. When he sees the pitiful disgrace you've turned this place into, you're gonna be out on your ass; a civilian."

"You're lying. I-I would know if the General was coming. He would have sent c-confirmation that he would be on his way. G-given us time to prepare."

"You seem to be under the impression that General Kavt is a man who strictly follows the regulations of this army to a letter 't'. You're sadly mistaken. In the short time I was with him, I recognized the Kavt is not a man who fiddles with fickle things that restrain efficiency. He is a smart man, a tactical genius if you will, and he will do whatever he thinks is the best choice to help keep his men alive at the same time as achieving victory. He told me himself that he would be heading down here shortly. The thing is, I've just asked him to speed up his plans by a couple of days."

"H-how?" Winging was completely crumpling now, he knew it was over for him.

"Simple, look around you, notice something missing?"

Wingling glanced about bleary-eyed. He saw men running, walking, and limping through the camp in a frantic attempt to create some semblance of order so they would not be completely slaughtered by the next wave of enemies. The medical tent was full to the brim, with soldiers lying of rough blankets outside and medics scurrying around tending as many of them as possible. A line of soldiers was backed up near the mess pot, where a small boy was dishing out a steaming cup of some odd soup to each one and handing them a slice of bread and a bottle of Lon Lon Milk. All in all, everything was the same as it had been for weeks. Nothing was different. Wingling numbly shook his head, missing whatever point Wind was trying to get at.

Wind sighed; this man was truly dense. "Idiot, more specifically, what arrived here about an hour ago and has since disappeared?"

Wingling glanced around at The Seven Sages, and suddenly realization hit him. "Y-your men? You sent them back?"

"You finally notice! Indeed, I sent Fire, Forest, and Sheik on a different route after we arrived here and saw the situation. Don't worry, I didn't send them back merely to inform Kavt of your pathetic excuse for leadership. I'm more intelligent than a moblin, unlike some people here. No, that's merely a stop along the way. Their true destination is what is going to help us accomplish the task of taking the River and Domain back."

"I told you it's impo-" A sharp crack resounded as Wind struck Wingling across the face.

"And I told you that if I heard that one more time I would feed you to the Mannequins myself." Suddenly Wingling seemed to comprehend just how much danger he was in, either that or the blow from Wind was stronger than intended, because Wingling's eyes rolled back into his head and his legs buckled beneath him. He hit the ground for a second time and lay there, unmoving.

Water bent down to pick him up, but was stopped short by Spirit's seething voice, "Leave him, the scum deserves to be trampled upon, and I'm sure that his men would love the opportunity to have some fun with him." Water stepped back, withdrawing the hand extended to help. Shadow and Light stayed silent and still during this.

Wind beckoned them and they followed him through the camp to the center. Here was a sloppy arrangement of nicked blades, battered shields, and rusted armor. Boxes were tipped over and scattered at random intervals throughout the small clearing. Wind climbed a top the tallest one of these upturned wooden crates. He motioned to Light, who raised his hand. A great crack emitted from his palm accompanied by a small flash of brilliant light. This of course drew the attention of every soldier, medic, and errand boy. They all stopped moving and hurried to the center to see what all the commotion was about.

Wind cleared his throat and spoke out in a voice that easily reached even the smallest niche among the tents, "Soldiers of Hyrule, greetings. My name is Wind, I am the leader of the Seven Sages, a group of mercenaries currently under command of your Queen. I have been sent here to aide you in any way possible. The first way in which I found I could be of use was to incapacitate that sniveling coward of a man who was _previously_ in charge." A few heads came up at this. Was it true? Had this complete stranger taken out "Commander" Wingling? Wind noticed the skeptical looks some of the soldiers were giving him. He shrugged before continuing, "He's lying right over there, in front of his tent, if you want proof." He pointed off in he direction he had come from.

A few men instantly scurried off to validate Wind's claim. They rushed back half a minute later, their faces glowing brightly with joy they had not felt since before the last commander had died. The word spread like wildfire and soon a raucous din rose as the men bellowed out their delight. Finally, now maybe something could be accomplished. Wind cleared his throat once again. Silence once again fell across the men, but the air was charged with excitement, and as Wind spoke, he could tell that every one of them was clinging to his words like they alone held the solution to this war. Which, in a way, they did. "I believe it is time, my dear soldiers, to take back Zora's Domain and free our friends the Zora. If there are any here opposed to this plan, take your leave here." He paused, but no one moved. He smiled, and though it could not be seen, it reached his voice. "Then, let us begin!"

Wind's statement was met with such a battle cry that the ground shook and anything within a mile must have heard it. He stepped down from his perch, and moved back toward the main tent (formerly Wingling's) with the whole contingent of soldiers pacing loyally behind him. It was time to strategize.

* * *

The setup of Zora's river was a very simple one, but it could be confusing to anyone not used the Hylian landscape, which including tons of unnecessary paths and ledges placed, it seemed, wherever the Goddesses thought space need to be filled. The river ran from the waterfall cascading down at its back. This waterfall also hid the entrance to Zora's Domain, the home of the Zora. It ran in a relatively straight line down a small valley. It turned sharply to the right after around a quarter mile and, after a few minor twists and turns, led off into Hyrule Field. Ledges were everywhere, some had had ladders added to the sheer walls that surrounded them in order for sightseers to have a better view of the river.

In the current situation, this simplicity was not to be desired. Wind was standing in front of the river, staring up it, seeing if he could pick out anything odd. They were five soldiers beside him, and Spirit, Light, and Water stood behind him. He turned and looked at each of the men individually, sizing them up. They were the best this outpost had to offer. They were decently intelligent and supposedly extremely deadly on the battlefield. For the past three hours he had been discussing with them his plan and taking their advice and suggestions. One had been worried that they were wasting time, and that they should be attacking before the next enemy wave hit them. Wind however, was unaffected. His plan needed to wait for nightfall anyway.

Instead, he had concentrated on refining his idea and integrating the Hylian soldiers into it. Now the sun was down, and the plan was almost ready to begin. He was waiting for two things. One of those two things detached itself from the shadows and sidled up beside him. The shadow took on form, revealing a violet cloak waving slightly in the breeze.

"And?" Wind questioned.

Shadow nodded toward the five men, "It's like they've said. The enemies are everywhere. Every elevated position and ledge is taken."

"Din's fire," Wind cursed lightly. "Well, I pretty much expected that anyway, it doesn't change much. Men, go prepare your troops, we're going forth. It's going to be one helluva fight, but if we go with everything we've got, we should be able to pull this off." The five men bowed slightly before striding back into the camp. Wind stood silently with his companions for a moment before Light broke it.

"You don't think they can do it do you?"

Wind sighed, "They have the spirit, and they're all strong fighters. Well-trained and willing to die for this cause. The problem is that they are facing a relentless enemy, one that is hard to kill. Their supplies are low, their strength is diminished, and their weapons are rusty. Our chances of winning this are about the same as twin Gerudo males being born. Everything relies on Forest, Fire and Sheik, and whether or not they can complete their task. If those Mannequins and their controllers hole themselves up in Zora's Domain, we've lost, and we'll never have this opportunity again." He looked at them. "I don't want that to happen, so we will hold back until we're sure that those three have secured our path. Then we can join the fray, otherwise we merely push the enemy back into our companions, and that would be bad." A slight smirk reached his eyes. "After all, we _are_ only the distraction."

Any further conversation was prevented by the return of three of the five men. The first one saluted and spoke, "Sir Wind, ours troops are all ready to go."

Wind nodded, "Good job. I'm sensing hesitation, something wrong?"

"Well, sir, it's-it's this plan. Some of the troops are uncomfortable going into battle not knowing exactly what our goal is."

"Our goal is to liberate Zora's River and Domain and to free the Zora trapped within."

"We know there's something else. Something you're not te-" His words were cut off as a flaming arrow arced down from the sky, passing only an inch in front of his face, close enough that he felt the heat. He stumbled backward, surprised by the sudden threat. His fellows all drew weapons and were preparing to call back to the camp when Wind held up a hand to stop them.

"Don't yell. This is not an enemy attack, this is a signal." Wind bent down and inspected the arrow.

One of the other man glanced at the arrow before doing a double take as his eyes widened. "By the great fires of Death Mountain, that's-"

"Fairy flame," Wind replied. He reached out and scooped up the small wooden projectile. The emerald flames licking at his hands were warm but did not burn him. This was it. The second thing he had been waiting for. A sign that his fellow mercenaries were in place and ready to initiate the plan. It was time. "It seems you will get your answer soon," he spoke humorously to the man on the ground. "Round up your men, it is high time we reclaim what is rightfully Hyrule's."

* * *

The Mannequins were creatures stitched together by dark magic. From many different animals and monsters they came, each different in its own manner. The basis their creator had used in making them was the ReDead. The Mannequins were far more vicious though, and because they were assembled from once living things, they could think, even if only the slightest bit. The person (or thing) that had created them had thought this to be a good thing. After all, they could now perform decently in combat and could understand enough tactics to overwhelm the enemy. However, this was also a disadvantage, one that the creator had not even thought of. When left alone, because they could think, the Mannequins could become _bored_. This dulled their fighting ability and their attentiveness.

This explains why the Mannequins posted all over Zora's River were meandering about lethargically. They had not been given orders or commanded to move by their magician controllers for over twenty-four hours. Their minds had begun to focus on other things. Small things, but other things all the same. Which of course means that they were not paying full attention to the entrance of Zora's River, like they should have been.

It came as a surprise then, when a sudden flash of light blazed out of the darkness and streaked up the river, blinding every Mannequin as it went. It also came as a surprise when a dull roar filled the air and echoed off the rock walls to either side countless times, deafening everything. Before they could even react the Mannequins stationed next to the bend in the river began dropping, limbs oddly missing and black blood gushing from wounds. Eyes widened as they finally grasped what was happening. By that time, the Hylian soldiers were already breathing down their necks, a spitting, seething mass of armor and blades.

Wind was surprised. More than surprised, he was impressed. The ferocity and strength with which the Hylians had struck had completely thrown the Mannequins and their controllers off guard. As such, the vile creatures were being felled with great success. So far everything was going perfectly, better than perfectly in fact. This was soon to change.

Wind tilted his head as he felt it. It was in the air. It seemed to be charged, clogged and forced down by killing intent. The Mannequins had gotten over their shock and blindness, and were beginning to counterattack, with devastating results. Hylians began to fall left and right, screaming in pain. The momentum of the battle had changed in a quick instant.

Wind looked around from his position at the back of the phalanx, out of range of the fighting. They had made it halfway up the river. It was better than he expected. He murmured to himself, "Quite a little feat these guys pulled. Perhaps the Queen _has_ been doing her job correctly."

"Wind?"

He glanced to the one who had spoken, "What is it Water?"

"Should we join the fray yet?" she questioned.

"Not yet. Forest, Fire and Sheik still haven't let us know that they have the entrance to Zora's Domain secure. Once we get that we can join."

"The soldiers are getting slaughtered though. If we do nothing, the battle could be over before the signal ever arrives."

Wind opened his mouth to speak but was cut off as fire blasted over Zora's River and spread over everything. Wind soon discovered that the fire had not come _over_ the river, but moreso _from_ the river. The water had been replaced with fire, and sloshed over the banks and onto the grass. It did not scorch or otherwise mar the vegetation, nor did it harm the Hylian soldiers. Upon the Mannequins, though, it had no mercy. The flames turned them to ash with but a touch. Wind smirked. What was it with the signals all being so conveniently timed tonight? Not that he was complaining.

"Now, Water, we may enter the fight." Water _humphed_ behind her mask and Wind's grin grew larger. Then he, Water, Light, Shadow, and Spirit launched themselves into the fray of battle.

* * *

The night was dead quiet as three heads slowly and soundlessly emerged from the depths of the small pool. It was tucked away in a small alcove, hidden from wandering eyes by a solid wall of rock. One of the people slipped fully out of the water, revealing a sleek body, liquid with rippling muscles. The figure slipped into the deep shadows surrounding the pool. A few seconds later there was two soft noises followed by thumps as two objects hit the ground.

Sheik stepped back into view and silently motioned for Forest and Fire to join him on dry land now that the closest guards were taken care of. They promptly pulled themselves from the water and stood beside Sheik.

"Time to give the signal then?" Forest whispered, her voice no more than a tickle of wind, and yet it reached Sheik and Fire perfectly as if she was talking normally.

"Aye, I believe so," Fire replied in a gruff voice. "This is quite a risk our leader is taking though, isn't it?"

"Not really, he's merely relying upon us to do a job, nothing he hasn't done before."

"I believe, Forest," Sheik interrupted in a light voice, "that Fire was referring to this whole plan. Everything is a huge risk. If even one small thing changes from what he planned, everything could go straight to the Dark World and we would fail. We also would not be able to utilize the underwater entrance to Zora's River from the Lost Woods like we did this time. They would defend it too well from now onward."

"What you both say is true. However, Wind has never let anyone down. Never. He will pull through this somehow, even if the Gerudo King himself appeared." With that said, Forest pulled her bow and an arrow from within the confines of her cloak. She touched the polished tip and muttered an ancient incantation under her breath. Bright green flames sprung up and licked at the air. She knocked the arrow, drew back her arm, and aimed at the sky. She closed her eyes for a second, gathering her position and that of Wind, before releasing the string, launching the burning arrow off into the night.

Sheik raised an eyebrow. _Fairy flame? I knew that the leader could use Farore's Wind, but now this? How many ancient tricks do these people have?_

Forest twirled back around, cloak billowing out around her. "We need to be ready. As soon as the battle's begun, we need to secure Zora's Domain."

Both Sheik and Fire nodded before drawing their weapons. The giant hammer appeared from thin air into Fire's hand. Sheik snapped his fingers and the shadows seemed to condense on his palms. Suddenly he was holding two curving, wickedly serrated, black daggers. He gave them a few experimental slashes and spins, making sure that they were counterbalanced appropriately for a Sheikah. It had been a while since he had used this ability. When he was sastified that everything was in order, and held the blades in reverse and bent his knees slightly, ready to fling himself into battle at moment's notice.

Five minutes later they heard the far off sound of a battle, and they moved.

Now, as previously explained, the Mannequins had the ability to think, but only very little. Yet again, this worked against them. Because they could only process one or two thoughts, they were so simple-minded that once the fight began nearer the entrance of the river, they stopped caring about defending the back of the river with their full ability to focus on the battling. This was a mistake.

Forest cocked and fired arrows as fast as her hands could move, and with each _twanging_ release another Mannequin fell from his perch on the sloping paths to splash into the water beneath. Fire rushed upon the enemies, Sheik hot on his tail. Between the three of them, not a single Mannequin was left after a span of a mere two minutes. However, several of the Controllers had managed to elude death and were hurriedly falling back to the waterfall. If they reached it and entered the hollow behind it, the fight was over and everything had been for naught.

They could not let that happen.

Forest continued the barrage of arrows, bringing down several of the fleeing creatures. Fire swung his great hammer twice, and the walls to either side of the falls became black with blood. Sheik leapt and twisted through the air to the entrance behind the falls, dodging the weak magic attacks launched simultaneously in a move so impossibly graceful that he seemed to be an ethereal being for a second. He landed lightly and immediately dispatched the remaining enemies with a quick twirl of his twin knives.

He turned to Fire, "Signal it, we've secured the entrance to Zora's Domain."

Fire nodded, before turning and pounding his hammer on the ground. He started chanting in a low voice, waving his hammer around, leaving a trail of fire burned in the air where it passed. The chanting grew louder until he was essentially shouting it and he once again slammed the great mallet into the ground. This time there was an immediate reaction. The ground began shaking and rumbling. Suddenly the earth split open and fire gushed out, flowing down into the river, _becoming_ the river.

"That should suffice," Fire said as the flames blasted off down the river, though his voice sounded strained. His breath was coming shorter than before. Using that amount of power had an effect on him.

Forest walked up and laid a hand upon his shoulder before speaking, "Let's go, we should at least see what we can do about the enemies within the Domain."

* * *

Wind's boots clacked harshly as he strode across the ice. The massive chamber echoed each of his steps, as if mocking him that everything might very well have been for naught. Wind cursed under his breath. He stopped and looked about Zora's Domain. All the water was frozen solid. The huge slab of ice he was standing on was what was once the main body of water in Zora's domain, and if he looked hard enough, he could see the faint figures of Zora below its surface.

He had burst into Zora's Domain ten minutes ago, ready to continue the fierce fighting and followed by the whole contingent of Hylian soldiers with the same goal in mind. What Wind found, however, was Mannequin bodies everywhere. They were thrown against walls and floors. Arrows sprouted from some like a deadly wooden flower. Other's heads or chests were caved in, evidence of the force that had smashed into them. And still others were missing limbs or had blood sprayed out before them from obvious slash wounds. Fire, Forest, and Sheik had done far better and far more than he had expected of them.

Which brought him to his current dilemma; the ice. It was possible to break it, the issue was whether or not he could survive such a great expenditure of his power all at one time. The Zora were needed warriors, especially for the next target Wind was planning on moving to retake, Lake Hylia. Their ability to fight in and under the water was invaluable. He supposed that he was going to have to risk the consequences. Otherwise, Hyrule could forever be deadlocked with the enemy.

Wind sighed. He turned and strode up the hundred and some odd steps to the throne room, where King Zora sat frozen upon his small bench that passed for a throne. The Hylian soldiers were all crammed in here, trying to discover a way to unfreeze him. They were making little progress however, as they were still in a daze from victory. Wind then continued out at a side passage to the top of a waterfall (frozen solid of course) where the rest of the Seven Sages and Sheik were standing, looking out over Zora's Domain.

"Stand aside," he spoke gruffly as he walked between them to the very edge of the precipice.

Spirit was first to catch on to his meaning. She spoke angrily, "You can't be serious, Wind! You're going to break the ice?!"

"Aye, I shall. If I do not the Zora shall remained trapped and Hyrule will have lost men and time over nothing."

"But it could kill you!" Light exclaimed.

"I know this."

"And you're still going through with it?" Shadow asked.

"Yes."

"B-but Wind, you can't-"

"I can and I will Forest," his voice came out harsher than he meant it to. "I'm sorry for snapping, but there is no other way, and besides, I've been in plenty of life-threatening situations before and I've always come out on top."

Forest stopped for a second before nodding and murmuring quietly, "Be careful, please."

"I will."

With that he raised his arms out from his sides and called upon the magic within him. He pulled it all to surface, and even took some from the surroundings. If he wanted to live, he needed to siphon off as much as he could from everything but himself. He drew and drew on the power, until he could hold no more. Then he launched himself off the edge.

It was a wonderful feeling, really. Being suspended in the air, motionless, for a split second, before his stomach shot up in his throat and he hurdled downward. When he was two-thirds of he way down his fall, which left about twenty feet to the ground he cocked back his hand and concentrated all the magical energy there. An aura sparked up around his hand and swirled in ever changing patterns.

And there it was, the ground. He rammed his fist down just as he landed, releasing all his energy just as he struck. He hand slammed into the ice with enough force that the whole of Zora's Domain shook dangerously. He held it there for several seconds, beginning to worry that he had not put enough behind it, that the ice would not break. Then a great cracking sound tore through the air, and cracks began to slither across the ice from the point of contact with Wind's blow. Huge chunks of ice began to break off and sink, or melt right where they were.

The surface on which Wind was standing too severed its connection with the main body of ice just as the waterfall behind him cracked and fell to pieces, releasing the crystal clear water beneath to gush out in a brilliant display of nature. Zora began to surface all over the place, gulping down air they thought they would never see again. They could breathe underwater forever, but they still enjoyed the land and air.

Wind smiled behind his mask, before blackness overtook his vision and he fell forward onto his small floating island.

* * *

Miles away, in the small port town of Hollo, a young man stepped from a rich adorned white boat. He walked casually through the streets as if he was intimately familiar with them and he belonged there. The dust from the road seemed unable to cling to his brown calf-high boots. His leggings were impeccably white, with not a speck or smear of dirt upon them, as well with his white undershirt. The same could be said for the green tunic that dressed the majority of his frame. His leather gauntlets were well-worn but still fit with his appearance. The mail shirt he wore under his tunic was gleaming and undamaged. A mop of golden hair sat on his head, and a few locks fell down into his brilliant blue eyes and around his pointed ears. A traveling pack full of provisions was casually slung over his shoulder, right next to his sword.

And such a fine sword it was. A purple handle and hilt, with sides that curved down and then upward gracefully. There was a yellow jewel set just above the guard. It was just barely visible peaking out of the top of the blue scabbard, which was lined with gold plating to prevent damage from the razor sharp blade within.

He came upon a travel service, the very same one that Wind and his group had used the previous day. He entered and ordered transportation to the center of the Field. The agent in front of him passed off the odd request (honestly, who would want to be dropped in the middle of a great expanse of _nothing_, especially with an ongoing war?) and asked for the man's papers. From the rucksack the man fetched a pack of papers and handed them to the agent. He looked them over disinterestedly before stamping them and handing them back to the traveler.

"Have a good trip Mister…Link, was it?" he spoke.

The man smiled and accepted his papers. "I most certainly will." After this, he turned and left the office.

He had places to go.

* * *

**A/N:** perhaps this lessened some of the anger leveled at me? or perhaps not, because i think i just shattered some of your theories on who the Seven Sages are.

Anyway, i am starting something new. every chapter i will have a bonus question posted at the bottom in the A/N. whoever gets it right gets 1 point, unless otherwise specified. whoever has the most by the end of the story will get something special. not sure what yet, make suggestions if you please.

**First Bonus Question:** since nobody felt like answering it last time. Where have we seen General Kavt before? (no, it is not in one of the games)

Anyway, thank you for reading and please, please, PLEASE review. it will inspire me to update faster ;)


	5. A Tale of Seven Sages

um...hi guys, how have you been for the past....8 months?

i'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorry, really really sorry, i didn't mean to let it take me this long

i feel horrible, from now on, i'm going to try and avoid doing something like that ever again

i'm not abandoning this story, in case anyone out there thought i was, i would at least tell if i was, but i'm not, and i don;t plan on it

so, eithout further ado, enjoy...

* * *

A Tale of Seven Sages

The two mannequins walked slowly, their claws dragging on the ground behind them. The scratching sound they made as they were pulled over rock echoed repeatedly back and forth in the massive chamber. One had barely flaming violet eyes, while the other had dying crimson orbs; they were the only survivors of the recent battle, a Mannequin and its Controller, each weakened and exhausted.

They continued to move through the chamber, slipping through a wide crack in the back and into another chamber, this one slightly smaller. A heavy, black smoke lay over the whole chamber, oppressive and thick. At the center of the chamber were situated in a triangle three iron spikes each made of two bars twisted around each other. In the center of these the smoke swirled into a gigantic black mass. Here, however, the consistency of the smoke changed. It became smooth and reflective, like volcanic glass. On its surface was a picture, a moving image of life taking place outside the cave, across the land.

As the two monstrosities approached, a piece of the smoke detached itself and moved toward them. It soon revealed itself to be a huge figure, cloaked tightly in black and towering over the creatures, being twice as tall. It spoke to them. If _spoke_ can actually be what it was called. A sinister growling hiss rolled through the room, and the two creatures recoiled. This was the only one they ever felt actual fear from. Hesitantly, the Controller titled its head and gave a timid, stuttering sound in its throat, as if it was trying to answer whatever question had been asked. However, the cloaked figure did not have the patience to wait for the creature to explain itself.

Two quick flashes and both the Mannequin and the Controller were dangling over the ground, held up by unseen hands clasped around their faces. They screeched and kicked and struggled, but the figure's grip was far too strong to break. The energy in each creature's eyes slowly disappeared as the flailing of their limbs faded away. When they were completely empty of life, they vanished in a swirl of black dust. The figure moved back to the shadow mirror, the images still playing across its surface, sastified by the information it had gleaned from the creatures' minds.

So the soldiers had been defeated at Zora's Domain and Zora's River. No matter, they still had Lake Hylia and the forest. In a short time they'd also have fully taken the desert. The Gerudo were proving resilient in their fortress. It appeared they had an extremely powerful magic user helping them. They could not resist the waves of enemies forever though, and would soon fall. Besides, he had seen this coming, the fall of Zora's Domain. He had known it was going to happen. It was all part of his plan. As for the Gerudos… _Just another race to enslave and destroy._

The figure waved a hand over the smoke, and the picture shifted, accommodating two side-by-side views of the world at once. In one, a man lay in bed. He was cloaked in black and a mask covered his face. He was breathing steadily, but it was obvious he was recovering from some sort of trial. The other picture was that of a young man in a green tunic, a sword strapped across his back. He was riding on the back of a horse-drawn wagon, staring up at the clouds. Suddenly his eyes seemed to focus on the unseen watcher. The green-clothed man smirked slightly as the figure released his mental hold on the smoke, and both images disappeared.

A low hiss emanated from inside the hood. "I thought he'd wait longer before making his move." The voice was no more than a whisper, a light sound that seemed to come from wind moving gently over grass rather than this terrifying creature. The figure melted back into the smoke. "The hero and my servant. If they meet, it could complicate matters…"

* * *

Wind awoke with a start. It took him a half second to comprehend where he was and another to roll off of the cot on which he had been sleeping. He stood up and was immediately moving out of the tent. His mask absorbed a good deal of the sun's glare, but even still, he stumbled slightly as he emerged from the entrance. The camp was bustling with activity. Soldiers were rolling barrels back and forth, or carrying weapons from tent to tent. Wind moved forward, walking swiftly between the men and equipment. Judging by the general mood of things, Kavt was here, finally.

Wind needed to find him. He needed to be privy to any plans the general had. He had been given a task. He could not fail. Otherwise the plan would not work…

Wind accelerated his pace. He _needed_ to find the general.

* * *

"Our next target is, of course, Lake Hylia," General Kavt explained to a room full of his best captains. The mercenaries were there as well, minus their leader of course. He was still recovering from the massive amount of magical energy drain he suffered after shattering the ice frozen over Zora's Domain. How he had even _gathered_ that much magic, let alone actually controlled and released it was completely beyond Kavt. He continued with his briefing, "We've finally scored a victory, with the help of our friends here." He indicated the mercenaries standing in the corner. "We are far from our final goal though. As such, we're going to take back all of the enemy occupied lands, one by one if we have to. The Zora are now free, and will be able to aid us immensely in the assault on Lake Hylia. Their ability to fight in water is an enormous advantage."

"Sounds like a great plan, general."

"Ah. You're up and moving already?"

"Aye, and I'm already ready to move out as well." Wind rolled his shoulders as he strode through the assembled soldiers to the front of the tent. "So, when do we leave?"

* * *

Link moved casually through the abandoned camp. The tents had all been taken down and the fires put out. A few darkened or flattened patches of grass, a blood stain or two, were all that was left to indicate that there had been small army here at all. By the tracks and signs left behind, he guessed that they have left about two hours previous, and they were moving swiftly.

_Towards Lake Hylia then? It appears as if that's the next target._ He crouched low over a swathe of charred grass. He reaches down and pulled a few strands from the ground. He rubbed them between his fingers and watched as they crumbled away to dust. _Magic overflow…so someone was using a load of magic for something or another._ It almost meant there was at least one powerful magic user in the army now heading away from him. An image flashed across his mind. Seven figures dressed in brightly colored robes. He knew about them, and that which they planned to do.

They could ruin everything.

He stood up and immediately turned toward Lake Hylia, beating a hasty path across the field. He needed to move quickly if disaster was to be prevented.

* * *

"We'll attack tomorrow, at dawn."

"General, that might not be the wisest course of action."

"Oh? And you think you can lead better then I?"

"I did not say tha-"

Water didn't give Wind the chance to finish his statement before she slammed his fist down on her thighs. She looked up angrily at Kavt before speaking, "Listen to Wind! He's trying to explain his reasoning and you're ignoring him! Give the man a chance to speak for the goddesses' sakes!"

The General stood in contemplative silence for a moment, then motioned to Wind to continue. Wind inclined his head slightly before speaking, "General, I believe that to wait until tomorrow morning would be rather foolish for several reasons. First off, it takes away our edge of surprise. The Mannequins and their Controllers have no idea we're coming, they think us still occupied at Zora's Domain. If we wait they could discover we're here by then, and lead a preemptive attack on us. Furthermore, if we strike now, while the sun is sleeping, then it's possible we could sneak past the majority of their defenses, or at least disable them before the remainder of the force can be alerted."

Kavt looked at Wind, then out toward Lake Hylia. They were camped on a large bluff overlooking Lake Hylia, they werehidden enough by a screen of trees and far enough from the water that discovery by the sentries would be very difficult. "I stand by my decision. We attack at dawn."

"But Gener-"

He turned suddenly. "I will hear no more of this! My men are tired, they just fought a great battle yesterday, and attained their first victory. They want a day or two of rest, and I believe they have earned it! They have been fighting this hopeless war for so long, they're so exhausted, so worn out. They need this rest. I will give it to them. We wait til dawn." His decision was final, and Wind could tell by the way he turned around that he would hear no further argument on the matter.

Wind shook his head and turned away, motioning to his companions to follow. They walked until they reached a small clearing, where they were secluded from the remainder of the camp and then sat down.

There were several minutes of silence before Forest timidly spoke up, "This…is going to end badly isn't it, Wind?"

Wind nodded. "Yes, it is. Most likely, we're going to be discovered and the army crushed before we have a chance to do anything."

"But if the army's crushed, then…"

"Yes, Fire, that's right. The plan will fall to pieces. We can't very well let that happen."

"Then what should we do," the flippant question came from Spirit, the only one still standing. She was leaning against a tree. "Wind, we don't have very many options. I say we take the initiative and take Lake Hylia on our own."

"We can't do that, and you know that."

It was Water's turn to chime in, "Of course we can, Wind. We're-"

"I don't think Wind meant we can't _physically_ perform this task, but rather we cannot for risk of revealing ourselves and our intentions," Shadow cut her off.

Water's voice turned pouting. "Why do we even need to hide ourselves like this? I'm sick of it. Can't we just show who we are and continue with the plan anyway? It's not like they can stop us."

"We're going to avoid unnecessary conflicts that could hinder us for as long as possible." Before conversation could get any further, Wind looked up as something pulled at his mind. "Light?"

The yellow robed figure nodded. "I sense it too. Magic, approaching from the lake. A shiny rupee's worth too."

"I knew this would happen. They found us. Prepare for battle. Spirit, go wake Kavt and the remainder of the camp, tell them the situation." She turned to go. "And please…" she turned around to look at him. "No gloating, alright?" Spirit rolled her eyes and headed back to camp.

Sheik appeared from the shadows. "Wind, there's an enemy force approaching, we should warn Kavt."

"Already done. Everyone, prepare for battle."

"I'm getting really sick of these things," Water murmured under her breath.

Before anyone could answer her comment, the Mannequins burst from the trees and attacked. They were quick and vicious, but showed no more organization or intelligence than before. The mercenaries, along with Sheik, went to work, hacking, slashing and shooting through the horde of enemies. No matter how many they took down though, there were always more. Two or three to replace every one that fell.

"Dammit! There's no end to them!"

"It's a bigger force than we've faced before, Water," Wind said as he tore a Controller's head clean off. A group of Mannequins stumbled and hit the ground, violet eyes dead.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, Spirit was back, and the soldiers were behind her, some looking as if they still hadn't gotten the sleep from their eyes. And most likely, they hadn't. Still, they charged the Mannequins and fought with whatever strength they could muster. Wind had to admit that Kavt had been right. The men _were_ tired. You could see it in the power of their swings, or lack there of, to be more accurate.

The fight continued to rage, neither side giving or gaining ground. Body count was building on each side, when suddenly Wind felt another magical presence heading up from the lake. It was huge, so Wind figured it was another large part of the army, sent as reinforcements.

He was dead wrong.

It was reinforcements, but not a large swath of Mannequins and Controllers like he expected. No, when these creatures entered the clearing, announcing their entrance by bulling over any trees in their way, the entire Hylian army took a couple steps back in fear. There were only ten of them, but they were _terrifying._ Standing fifteen feet tall, with limbs as thick as tree trunks and wielding large axes that looked large enough to level half of Hyrule Castle with a single swing, they struck a horrifying image. Their bodies were knotted with muscle, and their skin seemed to be a strange mix of moss and stone. They're eyes glowed a malevolent acidic green, they lacked a nose, and their mouths were nothing more than a crude slash across their round head.

They opened their mouths and let out a massive and deafening roar, and then pitched themselves forward. A single swing from their axes and ten men fell, many of them in more than one piece, some were sent flying. Wind stopped and stared for a moment. Where had these…these…_behemoths_ come from? He shook his head. It didn't matter. What did matter was stopping them, because otherwise the army would be gone in approximately eight minutes.

Wind turned to his group. "I really did not want to do this, but…" He sighed. "Power release level three." There was a collective intake of air, a gasp. They hadn't been expecting this, but looking at the situation, they saw it was necessary. The Sages spread out from each other and each touched their two fingers to their foreheads.

"Wind? Forest? What are you doing?" Sheik asked. He was confused. Suddenly, the mercenaries had stopped fighting. He knew for a fact that these people had so much fight left in them that there was no conceivable way they were giving up now. So why had they lowered their weapons and stopped moving? Why were they all glowing like that?

His answer came shortly thereafter.

Wind smiled at her through his mask, "Please step back, My Lady."

The next instant, the air around the fighting armies exploded with light. Everyone stopped fighting and turned to stare at the mercenaries. They looked like gods. Light poured off of their bodies, the colors matching those of their robes. The light began to concentrate on each one of their foreheads, and where before there was a perfectly smooth mask was now a small indentation. All except Wind's.

Medallions, each bevelled and raised with a different design appeared in front of each and slowly fell into place in the hollow in their foreheads.

And then all hell broke loose.

The earth cracked and split, and plants began to overrun every enemy. Trees sprouted fully grown out of the ground, impaling Mannequins and entrapping Controllers within their roots. Fire burst forth from nowhere, washing over everything. The fire was white hot and scorched every opponent. With a simple touch, creatures turned to ash on the wind. It snaked through the army like a snake, seeking out the creatures of black magic and eating them alive.

Amidst all of this, rain began to fall. A few drops at first, but it mounted and mounted. The Hylian soldiers looked up, it had been a clear night, there was no way it should be raining. What they saw sent them scurrying backward in fear. Hovering over the battlefield was a lake. Water just floated in the air, with no apparent suspension. Suddenly it came crashing down, thousands of gallons, washing away enemies, wrapping around and drowning opponents. The Mannequins began to flee, realizing the battle was lost, but many stumbled and fell, they're eyes suddenly lifeless and dull. All over the battlefield, spirits floated into the sky, ripped from the very containers that had housed them. Controllers, Behemoths, and Mannequins alike screeched as their very being was torn violently out through their throats.

Those that had been lucky enough to escape these disasters were met with more. The shadows literally came alive. They reached out and snatched passing creatures, dragging them back into the darkness, or down into the ground, their screams cut short, never to be heard from or seen again. The stars above suddenly flared, and lasers of light pierced down from the sky from them, cutting through flesh, bone, and soul with no hesitation. Thousands of the small beams flitted through the battlefield. Amongst all of this, the Mannequins did not last long. All of them were destroyed.

The lights slowly faded, the water soaked into the ground, the trees withered away or burnt out along with the fire, the shadows returned to their normal, silent shape, and the shades circling into the sky vanished. All was silent as the soldiers stared wordlessly at the Seven Sages. The first ones to move were those lying on the ground in pools of blood. Those that everyone thought dead. They were alive, and their injuries healed.

"What in the name of the deepest corners of the Dark Realm was that?!" a brave soldier shouted out. That seemed to break everyone else out of their stupor, and shouts and yells of surprise came from all directions. It was awhile before they realized that they were shouting at nothing, that Wind and the rest had disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Wind was moving swiftly through the trees, trying to put some distant between his group and the army. Too many questions, too soon. He hadn't expected or wanted to reveal that much of their power then and there. It put them very close to losing everything that they had been working for. If they were caught now, then everything would fall apart.

"Stop, now." A voice came from the shadows.

The mercenaries whipped about, weapons drawn and ready for an attack. Only Wind remained facing the direction they had been walking. "I figured you would wish to speak with us, Sheik."

The Sheikah materialized out of the shadows right in front of him and before anybody could react, a blade was against Wind's throat and his abdomen. "I want answers." He glared at the other Sages as they shifted. "Do it." The crimson eyes bore harshly into theirs, daring them to move, to use their magic. They could see it clearly in his eyes, though, his Sheikah reflexes were faster than their magic. If he saw so much as a _sparkle_ it wasn't going to be air passing through Wind's throat anymore.

Wind didn't seem fazed by the threat though. "What would you like to know?" He spoke normally, which is rather difficult with a knife pressing against your windpipe. There was a moments of silence. Sheik seemed to be thinking of the right question.

"I want to know who the hell you people are. You, the leader, can use Farore's Wind and channel enough magical power to shatter thirty-foot thick ice. You friend in green over there can create and use fairy flame, an ancient spell lost long ago except to a select few. The red one turned a river in _fire._ All of you tonight manipulated the elements with a force never before seen in this land. You," here she nudged Wind, "healed all of those who were on the verge of death, once again wielding a power you shouldn't have. And…" Sheik stopped talking, as if thinking twice about what he was going to say next.

"Go on. Surely just these things that you've presented us with are not enough to cause you to be this upset." He indicated the blades still held to his skin. The blood red eyes turned back to him, and behind the rage and killing intent, there was something else…hope? Pain? _Guilt_?

"Those," Sheik said, taking the hand away from Wind's stomach long enough to point to the medallion firmly secured in the forehead of Light's mask. "Those medallions, where did you get them?"

"Those? That's honestly all that's bothering you? We received them as a gift for completion of our last job in the country of Cladi-"

"Cut the Moblin shit." Sheik was in no mood for games. "Either I get the truth or you found out how it feels to inhale your own blood._ Where did you get them?_"

Everything was silent. Nobody spoke, nobody moved. Muscles tensed. Eyes shifted. The tension in the air was palpable.

"Fine," Wind said with a sigh. "I'll tell you where we got them."

"Wind!" Light took a step forward before Sheik looked at him with a murderous visage on his face. Light froze, but continued talking, "Wind, you cannot!"

"I have to, Light."

"We cannot afford to be stopped here! To reveal to him where we got the medallions is to reveal to him who we are, and who _you_ are! We have too much we need to accomplish, if we are halted here, if we go no further, then everything will fail. The plan! Think of the plan!"

"Light, calm down. I will tell her the truth about us, about our origins, and about our master." He turned back to look at Sheik, who was still glaring at him. "If you would be so kind as to remove at least the knife from my throat. 'Tis a long tale, and I'd rather not risk losing my Adam's apple halfway through." Reluctantly, Sheik pulled the dagger back and moved to Wind's chest. "Very well, now, where should I begin. Ah yes, where we come from."

"The first thing you must know, we all originate from Levenia, a small kingdom located across the sea to the south of Hyrule. Around nine years ago, Levenia was having an extremely difficult time. The kingdom was constantly at war with all three of the surrounding nations. These nations had formed an alliance and attacked Levenia for no reason other than to gain control of its fertile land and enslave its people. They requested aid from many other kingdoms, including this one here, Hyrule, but no help came. Things were beginning to get desperate, any able bodied man was immediately taken and thrown into the army. Fighting experience no longer mattered, and besides, few of the soldiers lived long enough to utilize any. That was how we all became involved in the army. We were all taken from our homes, some of us from the cities, but more from the rural villages, and put on the front lines to fend for our lives. The war raged on forever, even when the Levenians should have been exhausted and run out of supplies, we fought on. If there is one thing to be said about we Levenians, it is that we will fight with all of our strength, and never, ever give up.

"However, strength of will and courage of steel can only get you so far. The enemy eventually pushed us back into our capital city, Thalin, where the palace and the port were located. We holed up in the city, and became besieged, unable to flee from our own city. Still we fought on, we were losing though, all hope was lost.

"And then the strangest thing happened. On the morning of the twentieth day of the siege, the enemy was preparing for one final push. They would overrun the walls and us and take the city, ending the war and taking control of our nation once and for all. However, as they prepared to give the final charging order, they stopped and stared at the top of the wall. We all duplicated the move, wondering what could have stopped them like that. And there, standing atop the wall as if they had been there the whole time, with the light shining around them like an angelic aura, stood seven figures. A Goron, a Zora, a Gerudo, and four Hylians, one an old man, one a Sheikah, and two small children, no older than fourteen. There was a fairy with them." Sheik's breathing sped up. Could it really be?

"Yes, I see you realize who I'm talking about. The boy cast himself from the wall, and the six figures followed him. We thought that they were dead, how could anybody have survived that fall? But the next second those of us at the top of the walls saw the seven sprinting toward the enemy. It was suicidal, but something was different about these people. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing, they were so sure of themselves. They seemed…invincible. And sure enough, as we watched, they cut the enemy army to shreds. They bulled into them and through them, not a single warrior left standing where they hand been. We saw them draw on magic, great, terrible magic, devastating the army like it was made of match sticks. It was the wrath of Nayru, Goddess of Justice, embodied within these mortals. We sat there, stunned, no idea what to do, as these people single-handedly took apart the army. The boy was the most amazing to watch. The way he moved seemed impossible, he fought like the most skilled warrior ever seen. He couldn't be touched. And the sword he was using was absolutely magnificent. A violet hilt, that yellow jewel, masterly crafted. There was magic to it, that much was obvious."

"The Master Sword," Sheik breathed.

Wind seemed surprised. "_That's_ what it was? The Master Sword?" Wind snorted. "No wonder he seemed like a god, he had the Master Sword."

"The sword has been missing for nine years, ever since a young lad by the name of Link was banished from the land of Hyrule. This boy, he was…"

"Link, yes. Well, we know him as _Sir_ Link. Immediately following the battle and retreat of the enemy, Link and his companions were brought to the throne room, and treated as the heroes they were. He and his group were immediately knighted and rewarded, and he was given a grand position within the army. And we flourished under his command. We finally received proper training, and we began to be able to fight battles without the aid of Link or any of the other six. Sir Link even discovered the magic sensitivity that some of us possessed, and he created a separate warrior division that focused on integrating magic into fighting. There were about a hundred of us, and seven of those stand before you. We seven were the best of the best, and Sir Link noticed this. He took us, and each of us received training with one of them. Fire from the Goron, Water from the Zora, Spirit from the Gerudo, Shadow from the Sheikah, Light from the old Hylian, Forest from the young Hylian girl, and I from Sir Link himself. We emulated their fighting styles exactly, except for me, because Sir Link noticed that though we fight similarly, I'd be best off not using a sword. This was years after the close of the war, and peace had returned, but Sir Link kept us in fighting form in case we should ever be needed.

"And then, this year, Sir Link received word that his home, the kingdom of Hyrule, was under devastating attack. He wished to return and help, but since he had been banished, he realized he could not. His companions left as soon as word reached them, leaving only these six medallions behind for Sir Link. He quickly made a decision. He came to us, and gave my group the medallions, and me the Blessing of Farore, just as powerful as the medallions. He told us to come here to Hyrule, to aid the queen and do whatever we could for this land. He told us that he would be along as quickly as he could, to try and end this war." By this time, Sheik's knives had disappeared and he had taken a few steps back. He was trying to process all of this.

"So…Link's coming back?"

"Yes."

"What about his banishment?"

"He said to let him deal with that, I'd imagine that's what held him back."

"I must inform Queen Zelda of this." Sheik looked up at Wind. "So all this time, you've been a group sent ahead of Link in order to help us win this war?"

"Yes, this whole time. You can imagine why we would wish to keep it a secret, with Sir Link's banishm-"

"Bravo," a voice sounded from the shadows, and the slow clapping of hands could be heard accompanying it. "That was the most well thought out and best told lie I have ever heard." A man stepped from behind a tree.

Sheik's eyes widened. Green tunic. Hylian Shield. Green cap. He looked at the hilt of the sword sticking up over his left shoulder. It was a hilt he knew too well. _Master Sword._ "Link!"

He smiled crookedly, "Good to see you again, Sheik. Now please step away from those traitorous filth."

Sheik froze, "What?" Wind stared at Link in silence. The malice radiating off of him was almost visible.

"Get away from them, they're lying to you. They are nothing but back-stabbers intent upon destroying Hyrule."

"What do you mean?" Sheik asked, his reflexes and Sheikah training momentarily dulled due to the elation of Link's return.

"Yes, what do you mean, _Sir_ Link?" Wind's voice was suddenly extremely cold and the way he said 'Sir' was like he was chewing on a razor blade. None of the respect that had been in his voice before when he had been talking Link remained.

"You know damn well what I mean. You tried to kill me after I gave you seven those medallions and that blessing. You turned against me and tried to murder me. You thought you had succeeded too, but I know a few tricks. You stole the medallions and fled Levenia. You came here to Hyrule in order to infiltrate the Hylian Army and cause it to fall apart at its most crucial point. All of this just as your master ordered."

"Master…?"

"For the love of the goddesses, you're trying to play dumb now? Your master, whatever Dark Realm-spawned creature of hell is commanding this dark army. You're following his orders, don't think I don't know." He slid the Master Sword from its sheath. "Give me the medallions right now and I'll send you to the land of the goddesses quickly."

Wind continued to stare coldly at Link. Sheik backed away. He had been tricked. These seven were imposter, sent here to aid in Hyrule's destruction, not its salvation. He had fallen for their ploy. For not the first time in his life, he found himself thankful for Link, for saving him from making a fatal error. He crouched low in a fighting stance, and his daggers reappeared within his hands. "To think…all this time you were just fooling me, fooling all of us. I swear upon this crest, you will pay."

Wind glanced at him momentarily before turning his attention back to Link. "I have a proposition, oh Hero of Time." Link looked confused by the name, but his face told Wind he was interested. "Fight me, one on one. Your sword against my fists. A duel."

Link tilted his head. "The stakes?"

"The other's life, and in addition, if you win, you get the medallions. If I win, I get the Master Sword. I failed to take it from you last time, not realizing it for what it was, this time I will not make the same mistake."

Link stood in contemplative silence for minute, before finally straightening a little. "I accept, but how can I be sure you will keep your word?"

Wind held up his hand, his index and middle finger were glowing. In the air, he drew three symbols in a triangle pattern. The symbols of the three goddesses. Din on the top, Nayru on the lower left, and Farore on lower right. He spoke a few ancient words, and the runes glowed brightly before swirling into his chest and disappearing. He huffed. "There, the deal is sealed, the conditions fixed, neither of us can back down. The demands will be met whether we like it or not, the ancient magic will make sure of it."

Link nodded. He reassumed his fighting stance. "Ready, then, you untrustworthy shred of Gerudo spawn?"

Wind cracked his knuckles, and rolled his shoulders. "This ploy has gone on long enough, let's end this now."

Link gave a battle cry and charged, sword held back and ready to slash. Wind sprinted at Link, fists cocked. The air between them crackled with electricity as the first blow struck, sword to fist. Light blasted outward and the trees shook.

* * *

**A/N:** ooooh, what's gonna happen, who's telling the truth? who's not? well, i think that's fairly obvious, but i've always wanted to say that, so nybody out there still holding on to their original theory as to who the seven sages are?

i think this one may actually be my favorite so far, i got a bit more connected with the characters and livened up the conversations a little

anyway, since no one got the previous bonus question, i'll tell you, general kavt is seen in ch.1, he's the soldier who tells the king the master sword's missing, i only gave his name as frederick at that point, but his full name's frederick kavt, as listed in ch.3, so, no points for anyone to start off

**Bonus Question number 2**: Name three pilots of rouge squadron (past or present) who are/were also jedi?

good luck, and pleeeeeeeaaaaase, even if it's just to hate on me, review review review!


	6. A Deity and A Hero

Hye guys, i'm back, and look look, it didn't take me 8 months =D

anyway, this chapters a doosy, so sit back and enjoy...

* * *

A Deity and A Hero

The blade stuck out once again, scraping and rebounding off of the fist thrown in competition to it. Another shockwave blasted out, flattening several small trees and shrubs. The two men fighting each other recoiling from the force of the clash. They each stumbled backward before shifting their weight and swinging around again, the black robed figure jabbing forward with an open hand, aiming to pierce his opponent, the man in green swinging his sword low, trying to incapacitate the other.

Neither of them managed to hit the other, and after the failed attempt, they stepped back and stared at each other.

"I didn't honestly think you'd last this long."

"What can I say? You trained me well."

"At least you're humble if nothing else, you traitorous cur."

"Touchy touch, Mr. Hero. I hear lack of sleep can cause grouchiness."

"I only arrived here yesterday, it was a long trip."

"Aside from you're apparent lack of sleep, I've noticed something else."

"And that would be?"

"I'm sure you've noticed it as well. You should be wiping the ground with my ass shouldn't you? After all, you know everything I know, you taught it to me."

"Point?"

"So why is it, great and almighty Hero of Time, that I am not currently lying in a pool of my own blood while my group here hands you the medallions?" Link snarled. "Is that why you're in such a bad mood, because you know that you're not truly as strong as you thought you were?"

"Shut it! I haven't even been going all out against you!"

"Oh? Well that's good, I'd be rather disappointed if you were. After all, if I could equally fight my instructor without bringing out my full strength, then what would that say about my supposed master?"

Link roared angrily and charged Wind again. He swung his sword, and Wind noted with some satisfaction that the blade had indeed gained speed and power from before. As he caught the attack on the back of his gauntlet and forced it off to side he commented delightedly, "Good, so you weren't bluffing. You really weren't fighting at full strength. Guess it's about time I turned it up some too." He lashed out with his right foot, catching Link in the side of his right ankle and carrying all the way through, dumping him to the ground. Wind quickly tried to slam his fist, crackling with magical energy, into Link's face, but the man managed to roll away just in time.

Link flipped back onto his feet as a small crater appeared right where his head had been. This time, when he approached Wind, he was much more cautious. Suddenly he exploded into action, feinting up towards Wind's right should, then to his lower left side, and finally up directly toward his face, pulling his swings and stabs at the last second on each and every attack. Wind managed to keep up with the first two, but the last one he bought into the fluke and brought his arms up to guard. Link smirked, switched the direction of his sword mid swing and lashed out at Wind's exposed stomach.

Wind stumbled back with a small gasp of pain. He pressed a hand to his stomach and it came away wet with blood. Link, however, did not give the man a chance to recover. He pressed his attack, spinning and cleaving from one side of his waist to the other. Wind jumped backward, not reacting fast enough to be able to block it. Link swung the sword up in a move meant to split Wind from crotch to crown, but Wind dodged to his left. Link, in an incredibly difficult maneuver, switched his sword grip at the pinnacle of his swing, so that he now held it in reverse. He immediately brought his arm down, swinging out to the right a little, where Wind had dodged to.

He blade stopped just as it was beginning its downward attack however, and Link noticed that Wind had managed to catch the blade in between his hands. He threw the blade off and spun inside Link's guard, where he preceded to deliver a devastating elbow to Link's upper torso. Link was knocked backward and barely managed to keep his balance as his throat constricted and his chest throbbed.

Wind was inspecting the wound in his stomach. "Ganon's great beard that's some impressive sword handling you got there. Straight through my armor…" he muttered as he poked at the gash. "Course, I'd expect nothing less from the Hero of Time, Savior of Hyrule and Levenia."

Link rolled his neck around and breathed deeply a few times. "You're not so bad yourself, a bit better than I remember. You've obviously been practicing since we last encountered one another."

"Obviously."

"Again?"

"The duel only end's when one of us is dead…"

With that the two men charged each other again, dodging the other's attacks and striking any time they saw an opening.

* * *

"Fool," the figure hissed as it watched the fight taking place through its smoke mirror. "I told him to be careful. I told him to avoid the hero, to flee if he saw him. The fool, he will not survive this. Why did he challenge him?" The figure leaned back and pondered the fight. His servant must have thought that by defeating the only person who had the strength to throw a wrench in his master's plans that he would gain great favor with said master. It was either that, or the lure of possessing an artifact like the Master Sword was just too strong for the simple minded fool to resist. Did he not realize that the instant he touched it he would be destroyed? The sword was evil's bane; the very mention of it was enough to hold most monsters in check. Yet here he was, desperately trying to obtain it. "Fool…" the figure whispered again.

* * *

The fight was getting ferocious now; each blow sent out a huge shockwave. Already the two combatants had managed to turn what was a decently wooded area into a vast clearing. The remainder of the Seven Sages and Sheik stood off the side, watching the fight with growing tension. Neither of the fighters seemed to be weakening. Spirit began to pace nervously back and forth. Shadow just leaned back against the nearest tree. Water hopped anxiously from foot to foot while Forest scampered up onto Fire's shoulder in order to watch the battle more clearly, and Light leaned heavily on his staff.

"Din's Fire!" Spirit swore as she made yet another turnabout. "This isn't the way things were supposed to go!"

"Calm down, Spirit, I'm sure Wind will be fine, and then we can continue on with the plan," Forest said, but her voice didn't sound quite as confident as it normally did.

"Carry on with the plan?" Sheik suddenly spoke up. "You mean the plan in which you lead Hyrule to its downfall? Even if, by sheer force of impossibility, your leader does manage to defeat Link, _I'll_ stop you. I will call upon the Queen herself and the remainder of the army to assist me if need be."

Light turned around. "Now listen here, Sheik, there's much about this situation that you don't know."

"I know plenty!" Sheik said hotly. He was tired of being the played the fool, and he wasn't going to hear any more rubbish out of these people's mouths. "I know enough to know that I need to stop you, and that it's half your fault that this land is dying, and that you almost killed Link!" Sheik's voice was steadily growing louder; he was letting his emotions get the better of him. "The Queen and I have been worried sick about him since his banishment and now, after nine years, we finally find him to discover that you…you…_Dark Realm Spawn_ have attempted to kill him because he was trying to help us." Suddenly, two knives appeared in his hands. "I absolutely will not let you-"

"You fool!" The voice was cold and harsh, and caught Sheik unawares. He whipped around to find the speaker, and saw Shadow was glaring lividly at him. "Have you learned nothing from your Sheikah training? Absolutely nothing? You've broken the first rule, and you nearly acted on impulse, attacking a group of enemies whose powers you do not know the extent of and who greatly outnumber you. You call yourself the last true Sheikah, and yet this is how you act. If you truly are the last of our kind, I fear the Sheikah are done for."

"You…what do you know of the Sheikah way of life?" Shadow stared wordlessly at him before turning away, apparently too angry to answer. Sheik let his knives dissipate however. As much as he hated to admit it, the mercenary was right, he had nearly lost himself to his emotions. He looked up at her, wondering where exactly she had learned the Sheikah way, for he was fairly certain that Impa would not have imparted that knowledge to a stranger from a foreign land.

"Shadow's right, you know, Sheik?" Sheik turned to look at Wind. He and Link had hit another lull in battle and were merely staring at each other. Wind was talking to him without taking his eyes off of his opponent. "You should really try and control your emotions a bit more. Besides, you're getting really fired up over this. Are you even sure your Hero over there is telling the truth? Hell, are you even sure that he _is_ your Hero?"

Link brandished the Master Sword at Wind's words. "Look at this. Only the Hero of Time may wield the Master Sword, the sword of evil's bane. So if you're done throwing false accusations around and trying to turn Sheik against me, let's have at it."

"Think for yourself Sheik, don't just buy into what he's saying. The instant he showed up, you instantly assumed that he must be Link, and that his story must be true. You instantly assumed that we are evil."

"But you've verified the story yourself, with everything you've said," Sheik said quietly.

"Have I?" Wind questioned almost amusedly, and Sheik had the distinct impression that he was smirking underneath of his mask. "But whatever you choose to believe, and whatever I say or claim, I'm thoroughly convinced that this man is not Link."

There was a stunned silence before Link exploded, "_What?!_"

"Simple, I do not believe you to be the Hero of Time. If you truly were, you'd have greater power than this, I would be dead, and you would have no problem. You aren't the man who taught me."

Link's face tightened into a mask of hatred. Sheik had never seen anything of the like on his face before, even when he had be fighting Ganondorf. These years had changed him, somehow.

"I'm not, am I? Well then, I suppose I'll just have to prove to all of you that I am exactly who I say I am." With that, he dug into the pouch he had cast to the ground when the duel had begun. He stood up a few seconds and later and turned back to face Wind, holding something in his hand that hadn't been there before.

There was a second of silence before there was a collective gasp of air from everyone gathered.

Wind stuttered, "Wh-How…How did you…"

Link cackled. "I told you, didn't I?"

Sheik looked nervously at Link. "Link, do you actually plan on using that?"

Link looked over at him. "Of course, Sheik. It'll finish these people off in no time and then we can continue saving Hyrule." He glanced back around to Wind. "Well then, shall we continue?" And with that he lifted the object in his hand to his face. It was a mask, shaped like a normal Hylian face, pointed ears and all. There were of course, eye holes so that the wearer would be able to see out of the mask. What was strange, however, was that there were pointed red marking underneath the eyes and a large, jagged v-shaped blue mark coming down from the forehead in between the eyes. The beginnings of what looked like a whitish-blue cap rested atop white locks of hair. The mask met skin, and suddenly a blinding light blasted out from Link. Wind held up his arm to block the light. After is began to fade he lowered his arm and stared straight ahead at what Link had become.

His tunic was no longer green, it was now the same whitish-blue color that the cap on the mask had been. A breast plate now sat over his chest and his gauntlets had become thicker and made of dark gray material. His haired shone white, and the same markings that had adorned the mask's face now showed on his. The Master Sword has vanished, to be replaced by a gigantic sword made of two blades of different colors, a green and a turquoise, twisting into a helix. The blue of Link's eyes no longer existed; his pupils had been erased entirely. He now looked at the world through completely white eyes.

He laughed maniacally at the shocked gasp that escaped Wind before swinging the Helix Sword lazily. An arc of energy blasted outward from the sword and flew at Wind. He just barely managed to dodge, the magic attack cutting a swath of destruction through the forest behind him. Before he knew what was going on, Link was beside him, planting a knee in his stomach so hard that he keeled over and started coughing. Link raised the sword over his head and brought it down, intended decapitate Wind right there and then, but once again Wind managed to dodge. He rolled out of the way and climbed shakily to his feet. Link looked up and smirked, he knew that in this state, the fight would not take long, he was in no rush.

Wind slowly backed away. He had not expected Link to use the Fierce Deity Mask. _This is bad._ Link charged again.

* * *

The figure let loose a stream of curses in a language that no one but he could understand. This was not good, the Fierce Deity was loose. He knew the fool had plunged in over his head. Everything could fall apart right now if something wasn't done to stop it. He thought for a second before finally making a decision. The creature waved his hand over smoke and it lost it's glassy look at once, forming itself into a gateway. The figure stepped through the opening and disappeared. Rectifying his servant's mistake was something he would see to personally.

* * *

_Dammit._ Things were not going well for Wind. It was all he could do to stay alive, constantly dodging Link's vicious attacks. He fed his limbs with as much magical energy as he could muster, and yet he was still narrowly avoiding each swing of the Helix Sword. He tried to think of something that he could possibly do that might tip the scale of the battle. He came up with two possibilities. One, to call upon the reserves of magical energy he held within himself and the surrounding area. That could push him close to death though, especially if he overused it. Which, he thought to himself as he ducked backward to avoid another strike, was highly likely. The second option was to reveal his actual weapon and use it. While it would certainly end the fight in an instant, the problem is that if he brought it out, things could get worse, with certain people getting very angry at him.

He tossed the possibilities back and forth in his head, trying to decide which to follow. He was suddenly torn from his thoughts as his foot caught an upraised root and he fell backward. _Shit!_ He looked up, seeing Link's leering face already bearing down on him. He knew he no longer had anytime to ponder, and he roared. A magical shield burst into life in front of him. Link's pupil-less eyes widened in surprise as the Helix Sword bounced off, silver sparks cascading to the ground.

Wind stood slowly. Link watched him carefully, suddenly weary as to what he was doing. He hadn't thought that Wind still had this much power left in him. However, even though he was watching so carefully, he didn't even have time to register that Wind has disappeared before a fist slammed into his chest. He stumbled back, only to be caught in the side of the head by a strong kick. Black blood spurted out of his mouth as he crashed to the ground and slid. He recovered himself and looked around, only to notice that Wind was suddenly crouching low to the ground right in front of him.

Link began to swing at him, already knowing it too late. Wind planted both his hands on the ground and thrust upward with his feet. With a loud _oomph_, Wind's feet landed in Link's stomach and sent him into the air. He leaped after him and swung himself over in the air, round housing Link in the stomach and sending him shooting back down to the ground, where he slammed into the earth with enough force to form a small crater.

Wind landed softly a small distance away. He swayed unsteadily for a brief second before sinking to one knee and placing his knuckle against the ground. He was breathing heavily. _Din's fire, I didn't think it would take that much out of me._ He was exhausted, and barely able to move anymore. _If that didn't finish it, then I'm in trouble._ Black was beginning to creep into the edges of his vision.

"So you still had that much power left then, eh?" came a strained voice from the center of the dent in the ground. Link slowly stood, and Wind noted with satisfaction that his tunic was once again green and his eyes had returned to their previous state. Link was beaten and bloodied, but he looked as if he still had a lot more fight left in him. Lin looked around, and only then did he notice that the grass in the surrounding area (what was left of it) was gray and dead, and that several trees had suddenly shriveled, their leaves brown and dry. "So, that's where you got your magical energy, you drained the life force of the vegetation. I taught you well, didn't I? I must commend you; nobody has ever managed to defeat the Fierce Deity." He brandished the mask, and Wind flinched. Link chuckled, "Don't worry, I can't use it again for a while." He tossed it aside and drew the Master Sword. "I believe it's time I finished this, Wind."

Wind tried to rise to his feet, but he collapsed back down. He laughed bitterly. "And to think, I've come this far and fought this hard, only to be defeated in front of the woman I've done all of this for." He stretched a hand up to the sky.

"Really now?" Link was slowly walking forward. "And which of your little whores over there would that be? The blue one? Orange? Or violet? Ooh, I know, the one in green, right?"

Wind looked at him. "None of them, you fool. I meant the Queen. I meant _Zelda._"

Link stopped walking and looked around with a bewildered expression on his face. He turned back and sneered at Wind, "Zelda's not here, death must be making you delirious."

"What do you mean she's not here, she's right there." Wind, laying on his back, tilted his head backward and pointed at Sheik.

Sheik's eyes widened. _What?_ _How does he know…?_ Sheik continued to stare at the man lying on the ground as Link began to laugh. "You-you-idiot!" Each word was punctuated with a small bout of laughter. "That's Sheik. He's a Sheikah male, not the Queen!" Link continued to chuckle as he moved to Wind.

Sheik looked at Link. Something was wrong, why was Link insisting that Wind was wrong, when he knew perfectly well the truth of things. Something suddenly hit Sheik. He should have known sooner, Wind had told him earlier that he knew his true identity. Whenever he and the remainder of the Seven Sages had begun to release their powers to defeat the Behemoths, he had looked at Sheik and said, _"Please step back, My Lady." _Wind had known for awhile now, but how? _Think for yourself Sheik, don't just buy into what he's saying._ Unbidden, Wind's earlier words came back to her. _Hell, are you even sure that he _is_ your Hero?_ Sheik grabbed his head in confusion. Who should he believe? Who should he trust? _I think we know what needs to be done, Sheik._ A voice spoke out from within his mind. He felt a warmth settle in his stomach and then begin to spread out over his body. He could feel the transformation taking place. His consciousness began to fade, and the last thought that crossed his mind, _Be safe, Your Majesty.

* * *

_

Everyone was staring at her as the light faded from around her. She was no longer dressed in her royal attire, but rather in close fitting leather. At her side hung a slim rapier, and a knives circled her waist. Her brownish blonde hair was braided and thrown over her shoulder. Her violet eyes slowly opened.

There was a dull _thud_ as the Master Sword slipped from Link's grasp. "Ze-Zelda?" He stuttered. "But…how…what?"

Zelda frowned at him. "Do you not remember the true identity of Sheik, Link? Or have you forgotten your adventure all those years ago to save Hyrule?"

Link's eye twitched, but he covered it up by bending down to recover the sword. When he straightened he seemed to have gotten a hold of himself. "Of course I haven't, your Majesty. It just took me a bit by surprise is all. Wondering why you would choose now to return to your original form."

"Yes, I was wondering the same myself, but Sheik and I agreed it was necessary." She turned her eyes to Wind. "You, Sir, are the most difficult to understand enigma that I have ever come across."

Wind chuckled, "I do my best, Your Majesty."

Zelda continued to look at him coldly before asking him slowly, "What are you here for?"

"You Highness, questioning him will get us nowhere, we need to kill him immediately. We already know that the mastermind behind this whole thing is out to kill you, he already sent those assassins after you!"

"Hush, Link. I know the dangers of keeping him alive. I am prepared to risk them. Link, what has happened to you?" Link looked at her questioningly. "You were never like this before. You were always kindhearted and never wanted to kill if you could avoid it."

Link fidgeted before replying, "Time changes many things."

"There are also many things it doesn't change, and one of those is that there will always be evil," Wind said. He had finally managed to stand up.

Link glared back at him, his sword suddenly at the ready. "Speaking of yourself in an unkind light will do nothing to help you."

Wind laughed. "I'm sorry. It seems you're under the impression that I was referring to myself. I was, in fact, talking about _you._"

Link hissed, "What did you just say to me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend you? Last time I checked, however, stealing someone's identity and then strutting around lying to everyone you meet so that you may destroy everything is counted as evil."

"How many must I tell you that I'm Link! I've stolen no one's identity!"

"Really? And you're not evil at all?"

"Of course not, I'm trying to save this land!"

"Care to explain then how you know about the assassin's sent just _days _ago to kill the Queen, when you only just arrived here yesterday, especially considering the Queen kept the issue silent?"

There was a stunned silence, and then suddenly Link screamed. He raised his hand and the Fierce Deity mask flew into his hand. He slapped it onto his face without hesitation, and light exploded outward once again. Before it had even faded he was swinging the great sword. Wind dodged deftly. Hew had been stalling for a reason, he had been gathering energy from the surroundings again. It wasn't a very sufficient fix, but it would do.

The arc of energy blasted straight for Zelda, but before she could even move to defend herself, the six robed figures of the Seven Sages had encircled her and canceled out the magic.

Forest turned and looked at her. "Stay still, You Highness. We will let no harm come to you." Zelda loosened her sword in its sheath, but otherwise made no moves.

"He's going to use it, isn't he?" she heard Water whisper.

"I can see no way around it," Light replied.

"So in the end the plan's been shot to the Dark Realm anyway," Spirit said forcefully.

They turned their attention back to fight raging in front of them. Wind continued to twist and maneuver around Link's attacks.

"Now, Link, now," Zelda heard a voice whisper, and she realized it was coming from red robed figure. What did he want Link to do when it was his leader who was in peril?

Suddenly, a great scraping sound tore across the air, and Zelda whipped her head back around in time to see Link stumble forward, holding his stomach, as his body returned to it's normal state. Wind stood a small distance away, his back to them. She heard a cracking noise, and several pieces of something falling to the ground. Wind was completely relaxed. Zelda noticed the tip of a sword poking out over the side of his cloak. So he did have a weapon, and he had been concealing it this whole time, but why?

Link turned around, snarling with rage as the Fierce Deity Mask slipped from his face. He wrenched the Master Sword from its sheath and charged straight at Wind.

"Maybe you didn't hear me the last time I said it, seeing as how you were too busy tearing up everything around you, but you've lost. You can't beat me."

Link stabbed brutally as he reached Wind and let out a yell of triumph when he saw his blade tear through black cloth. Too late he realized that all he had managed to injure was Wind's cloak, now discarded. As he turned to try and guard against Wind's attack, Zelda noticed the pieces of Wind's mask lying on the ground where he had been standing. That's what had cracked.

Link brought his sword around to meet Wind's just in time, but what he didn't expect was the distinctive sound of metal shattering to reach his ears. Or the pain of a blade tearing through his flesh as it rove it's way from his left hip to his right shoulder. He stared in surprise as the metal shards of his sword mixed with his blood in the air. He didn't have long to stare. Wind spun and rammed his sword through Link's gut, the blade exited out the back of his abdomen.

Link coughed up blood and looked down at the blade hilt buried against his flesh. He chuckled as he saw the hilt. "So what he said was true, eh? I shouldn't have picked a fight with you."

"He was right, whoever he is. There's no way a fake Master Sword could defeat the true one." He put a foot on Link's stomach, right beside the sword. A sword with a purple hilt, gold edging, and a yellow jewel flashing like an eye out of the crimson of Link's blood. He pushed Link back off of the Master Sword and stood back. Zelda's eyes widened in surprise at what she was. Despite the fact that his cap and tunic were black now, despite the fact that his hair was longer and shaggier than before, despite the fact that she could see a few new scars, despite all of this, she knew him. She knew the curve of the face, the blue of those eyes, the small blue earrings. Wind looked down disdainfully at the man who had claimed to be Link, and said with venom, "And there's no way that a fake Hero of Time could defeat the true one."

With that, Link spun and slid the real Master Sword into its sheath on his back, right where it belonged, with its true master, the Hero of Time.

* * *

**A/N:** Surprise!! First i destroy your theories and then i revive them, hehehe =p hope you guys enjoyed it

anyway, i'm scrapping the bonus question idea. but hey, look forward to my nest update, i can't tell you how fast it will be out, because i have a feeling college is gonna be slightly different from high school, so we'll see


	7. Shattered Time, Shattered Edge

Didn't take me quite as long this time! sorry guys, college was a bit busier than i expected, so it took me a bit of time

anyway, here's the newest chapter, so enjoy...

* * *

Shattered Time, Shattered Edge

"Link…" Zelda said quietly, as said man walked over to the group surrounding her. "Is that really you?"

He grinned lopsidedly at her. "'Course it is, Zel. Now why would you ask that?"

"Oh, you-you-" Zelda couldn't come up with a name to call him. She could barely think of anything right now, other than breaking out of the circle of mercenaries and tackling Link, which is exactly what she did. Link laughed as her arms wrapped around his neck and they fell to the ground.

"Come now, this isn't very fitting behavior for a Queen, Your Majesty."

"Shut up," she growled from his chest. "You're lucky I decided to hug you and not slap you. What the hell were you thinking? Sneaking into Hyrule in disguise, and then not telling me it was you!?" Her voice cracked slightly as she said this. "I-I nearly killed you, Link."

He looked down at her and spoke gently, "I'm sorry, Zel. I thought that if I told you who I was, then the council would find out and either restrict my movements or kick me out of the land again, or worse, put me to death. Again. I couldn't risk that, not if I had any of hope of helping you save Hyrule."

"So that's the only reason you came back? To save Hyrule? How did you even know?"

"Our friends over there," he motioned toward the rest of the Seven Sages, "felt Hyrule fading away, so we booked it back here."

Zelda looked back over her shoulder, and her smile grew even larger. Standing before her were six people she hadn't seen in thirteen years, masks removed and hoods down. She extricated herself from Link and walked up to them. "How did you hide your weapons, and your body shapes?"

"The cloaks and the masks are magic, a neat little trick we picked up in Levenia," Link explained. "You need both mask and cloak for the illusion to fully work, though. Cost us a hefty sum of rupees."

"Well, it's good to see you all again," she said, before greeting them all in turn.

"It's good to see you too, Zelda," Saria said as she embraced her.

"My, my. You've certainly…"

Saria laughed, eyes sparkling in mirth. "Grown up, yes. Since I was away from my temple, I had the chance to age, and, you know," she shrugged, "walking around as a kid for a couple millennia wears on you." Zelda looked over Saria's new body. It was no longer that of a ten-year old child, but now that of a young woman. She had filled out rather nicely, in Zelda's opinion, and her emerald hair was now mid-back length; it suited her. "Oh, before I forget," Saria murmured. She snapped her fingers before cooing lightly, "You can come out now." A fairy hesitantly flew up from within the confines of Saria's cloak and floating at her shoulder.

"So does that mean I can come out too?" a tiny voice tinkled. Zelda turned, and saw Link gingerly tip his hat. A fairy flew out and immediately began buzzing around Link's ear. "Jeez, Link, do you know what it's like being stuck inside your hat while you're fighting?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Well then, I guess you don't want to go back up there. _Ever._"

"No no," the fairy said nervously. It was, after all, her favorite traveling and resting spot. "I just meant, I'm normally out here helping you for most battles, it's just a little uncomfortable under there with you dodging left and right."

"Well, you don't have to hide anymore, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Navi?" Zelda questioned.

"Oh, Princess, how are you," the small winged creature jingled in excitement.

Zelda laughed, "I've been better, though right now I'd say I'm rather enjoying myself. But what of you? I see you've returned to our young hero?"

"Well, when I heard what happened -word gets around the forest rather quickly- I figured that I couldn't let him go off without my help. After all, he was just a boy."

Link scoffed. "You forget that I'd already saved one world without you by my side, Navi. But still, I'm glad you came." Navi's wings beat happily.

"Let's get something straight right now, Zelda," a new voice cut in, drawing the monarch's attention back to the assembled group. "You may be higher up then me in the royal hierarchy now, but Link's still mine."

Zelda put a finger to her lip as if in thought before replying, "Well, I guess we'll just have to see won't we, Ruto?" She glanced back and threw a wink at Link, who looked abashedly at his feet. The Zora princess spluttered and tried to retort, but Zelda chuckled and moved on to the next person.

"Your Highness," Impa said, bowing gracefully.

Zelda returned it before embracing Impa tightly. "Oh how I've missed you, Impa. None of the other bodyguards were up to your standards, nor do any of the maids make much conversation." Impa smiled serenely.

"Hello, little sister!"

"Darunia!" The large Goron laughed and picked Zelda up, throwing her into the air before catching her lightly. Zelda laughed for the first time in years. Link smiled, it was so good to finally hear her voice again, unfettered by the codes and responsibilities of royalty. "You're son has become a fine leader, my friend. He has given me much support over the years, and I fear I would not have lasted very long without his strength."

Darunia puffed out his chest. "He's my son, named after a great hero, of course he's an excellent leader!"

Zelda nodded and moved to the last two people waiting. "You're looking well, Nabooru," Zelda stated as she clasped forearms with the Gerudo woman.

"As are you, Your Highness." The Sage of Spirit smirked. "So have you had to start using physical violence to keep the suitors at bay yet?"

Zelda chuckled while a faint blush colored her features. "None of them have gotten quite that desperate yet. I did have to have the guards detain one though, he had a bit too much wine that night and was rather…_persistent_ in his attempts to persuade me to court him."

"What's his name and title?" Link growled.

Zelda pinned him with a look, "Why?"

He shuffled his feet. "No reason."

"I'm sure. Bear in mind, _Sir_ Link, that I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh, I'll be sure to let the Goddesses know that next time they send me to the far reaches of Hyrule to save your pretty ass."

Zelda's face lit up like a beacon as she spluttered, "I-you-wh-what-"

"Relax, Zel," Link chuckled as he threw an arm around her shoulders. "I was teasing." Zelda sighed and looked away. Link grinned and leaned over, whispering in her ear, "You _do_ have a pretty ass though, Princess."

The blush that had been fading came back in full force on Zelda's face, and she pushed Link to the ground, where he proceeded to just laugh. "You-are-_incorrigible_," Zelda said fiercely.

"Now, now, Princess. I'm sure the young hero was just expressing his joy at seeing you again."

"Don't defend him, Rauru. He's always been like this. Besides, I'm not a princess anymore." Rauru did not miss the small smile pulling at the corners of Zelda's mouth despite her statement of Link's actions.

He smiled brightly. "It is good to see you again, my child. We have been away from Hyrule for too long. It's looks as if you've done a wonderful job of managing without us."

"Yes, well, obviously not too great of a job. This whole war is a mess."

"It's also not your fault," Link said as he stood, the laughter wiped from his face to be replaced with a serious expression. "It's the fault of whoever is leading these monsters."

"Do you think it could be…him?" Zelda questioned hesitantly.

Link shook his head. "This is too obvious for Ganondorf. He prefers to subtly manipulate others to get the job done, only coming out near the end. But, about Ganondorf. Zelda, he's…" Link broke off and looked at Rauru.

"He's broken our seal, Zelda," the sage continued.

Zelda gasped. "How?"

"We're not sure. But we all felt it," Impa stated.

"Yeah, and this," Link held up his left hand, revealing the glowing Triforce symbol, "has been acting up for awhile now. I think it knows its brother's back."

Zelda glanced done at her own gloved hand, and saw that her symbol too, was glowing. "She pinched the bridge of her nose. "So you're telling me that we have two masterminds roaming around?"

"Well, yes and no." Zelda raised an eyebrow, so Rauru continued, "We don't think that Ganondorf's involved in any way with the attacks on Hyrule. We think he's sitting this one out, gathering his forces, probably plotting his next course of action."

"So right now," Saria clarified, "we just need to concentrate on finding out who is leading this attack and finish them."

"Right, cause that's soooo simple, Saria," Ruto huffed.

"Well, I did just thoroughly thrash his servant, who he apparently warned not to pick a fight with me, so maybe he'll show us his face."

Nabooru snorted. "Doubt it."

Link sighed. "I was just trying to be positive, Nabooru."

"Positivity in the face of reality gets you nowhere."

"Nor does negativity," Link countered.

"Either way," the Queen spoke, holding up her hand to stop the argument before it grew, "we must return to the camp. In case none of you noticed, it _is_ the middle of the night."

Link looked up at the sky before whistling, "Well I'll be damned. And while we're at it, what do you call that large silver orb thing there?"

"That's called a moon, Link. I thought you would've known that, considering you saved Termina from very similar to it."

"Really?" Like feigned surprise quite well. He glanced back up. "I didn't recognize it without that goddess-damned creepy-ass grin."

Zelda chuckled. "We must return though. The general, I'm sure, will want an explanation." Her companions nodded and began to set off. Zelda placed a hand on Link's arm, silently asking him to fall back behind the others. Link nodded, and Zelda noticed Ruto give her a sharp look, but the Zora princess continued walking with the remainder of the sages. Navi took a hint and sped off after the others. When they were alone, Zelda once again slid her arms around Link's neck. Link embraced her back, pulling her firmly against him. "I've missed you so much," she breathed in his ear.

"And I you, My Princess." They stayed like this for a few moments, enjoying the comfortable silence, before Link spoke up, "And to answer you're earlier question, Zel, no, it wasn't the only reason I came back. I didn't come just to save Hyrule."

She stepped back and raised a hand, resting it on his cheek. He gently placed his hand over hers, his calloused hands sliding over the silky smoothness of hers. "What else drew you back, My Hero?"

"You, of course. I came back for you." They stared into each others' eyes, blue into violet, neither moving, neither saying a word.

"Link…"

"I told you before I left to forget about me, to live a happy life."

"And I told you, great Hero of Time, that that would never happen."

He smirked ruefully at her. "No you didn't."

She smiled. "No, I didn't. But I meant it. I could never forget about you, Link. Not after everything you did for this land, for me. I could no more forget you than I could Hyrule itself, for you are an essential part of Hyrule's life." She added quietly in an undertone, "You're an essential part of _my_ life as well."

"The Goddesses burdened us with quite a load, didn't they?" He held up his hand, still shimmering in the dark.

"Yes, they did. But I trust their judgment. After all, we're not alone in our burden."

He brought his eyes back to hers. "No, no we aren't," he whispered quietly.

Zelda bit her lip. "Link, I-"

She was interrupted by a loud hiss behind them. In flash, Link had positioned himself between Zelda and the noise, sword in hand and nerves on fire, searching the darkness for the source. Out of the darkness streaked what appeared to be sharpened iron rods. Link parried them away without much effort.

"Show yourself," he called.

"You make demands of me, Hero?" a soft voice asked from the shadows, sounding like it came from all directions.

"I do."

The voice was quiet. "I do not obey you."

"Who _do_ you obey?"

"You need not know." More rods lanced out, coming from behind this time. Zelda quickly raised her hand, stopping the projectiles in mid flight. They fell uselessly to the ground.

"If you'll not come out, then we'll just have to expose you." Zelda lifted her hand above her head. A small orb of bright light appeared and floated upwards, flooding the clearing with light as bright as day. There he was, a towering figure wrapped tightly in a black cloak.

He hissed at the light, like a cat at cold water. He lifted his arms, and out of his sleeves came more of the deadly lengths of metal. Link and Zelda easily dodged them this time, having known they were coming. Link charged the enemy while Zelda, having noticed the creature's aversion to light, summoned an elaborate bow and the sacred light arrows out of thin air. She quickly notched an arrow and took careful aim. She wouldn't fire unless Link needed her to.

Link being matched blow for blow though. His opponent was using no visible weapons, and Link could sense no magic flowing through its body. _What in the name of the Sacred Realm is going on? He shouldn't be able to block the Master Sword with his hands, especially if he's evil. Something's wrong._ Link batted the creature's arm aside and spun inside his guard, bringing his blade to bear as he did so. The blow, meant to cleave his enemy from left hip to right shoulder, instead hit his opponent and rebounded harmlessly. Link back flipped to avoid the counter attack. He landed in a crouch, thoughts racing madly. _Armor?! But what armor could withstand the Master Sword?_ "Zelda!" he called, and rolled to the side.

Zelda gave a quick nod, and quickly let fly three arrows, all aimed with perfect precision for the enemy's chest and head. The figure batted one aside and bent backward to dodge the other two. When he straightened though, Zelda caught him square in the chest with another. The creature hissed in pain, reached up and grasped the shaft of the arrow and yanked it out, then crushed the ancient artifact.

Zelda gasped and Link's eyes widened as they saw his hands. They weren't of flesh. They weren't of bone. They were of metal. Link recovered quickly and tore toward his enemy, dodging all over and making quick slashes where he could. Soon enough, he achieved his goal and the cloak hugging the figure fell away. Link stepped back, confusion and disbelief written all over his face. Zelda brought a hand up to cover her mouth.

Before them was a creature shaped entirely of twisted and bent metal bars of the deepest black. It took the shape of a man, and the only this on it that could be considered skin was the face. There was a black metal plate fitted over the creature's head, taking the shape of a face. There were two empty sockets for eyes, a nose, and a mouth that never opened. Through the gaps into between the bars that formed his body, Link could see the forest behind him. It had no organs, no skin, nothing to indicate humanity.

"Who…are you?" Link whispered quietly.

"Not who, but what," the creature answered.

Link swallowed. "What are you then?"

"I am the Vay."

"That didn't answer the question," Zelda said.

"Indeed." Link found the fact that the mouth never moved extremely disconcerting.

"So what in the Dark Realm are you?"

Vay turned his metal mask to Link. "I am your blade's brother."

Link glanced down at the Master Sword in surprise. "What?"

"The Varvarray," Zelda gasped, as something sparked in her memory.

Vay nodded silently while Link glanced at her. "Zelda?"

She looked up at the metal monstrosity before her with a hint of fear in her eyes. "You are nothing more than a legend, you do not exist, you _cannot_ exist."

"But I do."

"How do you have a form?"

"Unlike my brother, I am not restricted to one form. I can assume whatever shape most fits my master's needs."

"Would someone please tell me what the hell's going on?" Link growled out in frustration.

"The Varvarray is another ancient legend of Hyrule. Written down next to that of the Master Sword, though long forgotten. If he is indeed the Varvarray, then what he says is true, he is the brother of the Master Sword." Link waited for her to continue. She took a breath. "The material and magic woven into the very creation of the Master Sword made it the ultimate weapon to combat darkness, the bane of all evil. The Varvarray was, _is_, an ancient blade, forged shortly after the Master Sword, by enemies who wished to equal its power. It holds the same power as the Master Sword, only, it is the bane of all things _good_. The forging was thought never to be completed, as the creators of the Master Sword interrupted them. In the ensuing battle, the blade disappeared and was believed to have been destroyed."

"So that's how you were able to fight the Master Sword with you're hands, because you're the same."

"Yes."

Link was silent a minute. "So I suppose it's safe to assume that your master's the one leading this war?"

"No, I am in charge currently, while my master gathers his strength. He suffered a grievous wound many years ago that has yet to heal. It was my brother," here the empty gaze shifted to the Master Sword, "that delivered the blow."

"So I've fought your master before, then?" There was no reply.

"You're not the only one who's wielded the Master Sword, Link." Zelda reminded him. "It could be referring to an enemy from ancient times, one involved in its creation."

Link nodded. "So I'm guessing that if we defeat you, your master will come running to try and retrieve you."

"I was told not to harm you, to leave you for my master to deal with."

"Don't really care," Link shrugged. "You know how strong I am, it's why you warned your little friend over there not to fight me, which he did anyway. I'll give you one chance, give up without a fight."

"I cannot."

"You realize you're up against your brother and two wielders of the Triforce, right? You don't stand a chance."

"My brother is dormant, and your endurance and strength are weakened from your earlier battle."

"What do you mean your brother's dormant?" Link was met with silence. He narrowed his eyes. "Din's fire, _answer me!_" Vay remained resolutely silent. Link took three steps forward and then lunged.

"As I said," Vay reached out a hand and the caught the Master Sword, stopping the blade cold, "my brother lies dormant. It has been separated from its base of power for too long. My master had you banished for a reason." Link's eyes barely had time to widen before Vay's grip on the Master Sword tightened and it twisted its wrist.

The Master Sword broke. Millions of glinting pieces of metal scattered through the air. Link's face slackened in horror. One thought reverberated through his head.

_The Master Sword had been destroyed._

He barely even registered the searing pain across his torso as Vay slashed him left shoulder to right hip with his hand. He hardely even noted the blood gushing from his wound, or that his remaining energy was quickly fading. He didn't notice when the Queen screamed his name in fear. He only registered the useless length of jagged-edged metal attached to a hilt gripped tightly in his hand, its other half lying on the ground before him amidst the fragments that had once held the great blade together. The sword had never let him down. It had always been there, it was never something he had had to question. He had only ever been separated from it twice. Once in his fight with Ganon, the other after he had been sent back to his normal time up until the moment he had stolen it. It had been his only constant companion. Navi had left. Epona had returned to the ranch. Tatl had left. Zelda had remained in Hyrule while he went his way. The sages had come and gone. But not the Master Sword. It was always faithful, always close by. A comfort that Link had taken for granted.

Link fell to his knees, feeling dead inside, as the useless hilt of the Master Sword slipped from his hand. Who was he? For he could no longer bear the name the Hero of Time without Time's deadly edge by his side.

He heard Vay speaking, and only when he heard the Queen's name did he focus enough to actually hear what the creature was saying.

"-wever, my master has said nothing about your wellbeing, Queen Zelda," it was saying. A small fire lit itself within Link. He had failed once already. He wouldn't fail again. He still had one duty which he could fulfill, and he aimed to do so, even if it took his life.

Vay wasn't paying attention to him, so the creature didn't notice when Link stood and moved toward Zelda. The sword spirit didn't realize what was happening until after he had sent the spiked rods toward the Queen of Hyrule.

Link felt them tear through his flesh, one through his right shoulder, one through his left side, and one that grazed off of his right hip. He didn't register the pain, mind still too far gone and adrenaline still pumping enough through his veins to block off the agony.

Vay hissed, angered that it had failed, that it had severely wounded the Hero of Time, its master's prey. It approached Zelda, who was now cradling an unconscious Link, calling his name while tears streamed down her face, and raised its hand to finish her off. As it swung down, a shield of light suddenly burst into existence around the two Triforce wielders. Vay's hand bounced off, and it turned to fend off the new threats.

The sages burst into the clearing, magic already flashing at their fingertips and ancient spells rolling off of their tongues. Zelda took no note of any of this. She didn't know when they drove the creature away, or when they lowered the shield around her. She didn't react when a hand rested gently on her shoulder and someone called her name. She just continued to hold Link's head in her lap and sob.

She spared a glance at the Master Sword, laying broken on the grass not ten feet away, the one brightly shining yellow jewel now black and dead, and her cries grew stronger.

She wept, for she knew that both the Master Sword and the wielder of its vicious edge, the Hero of Time, were shattered.

* * *

**A/N:** so whaddya guys think? when i started this chapter, i wasn't quite sure where to go with it, but it just kinda flowed, and it took over by itself. i know Vay seems different in this chapter than he did before, but that's because the idea of what he was hadn't hit me til this chapter, like i said, this chapter literally wrote itself, i made up most of it on the fly. he wrote himself, and like the way he turned out. it feels good though, i like it, i hope you guys do too.

and don't ask where i got Vay's name from. i'm not sure, but kinda rolls off of the tongue nicely doesn't it? Varvarray

but, i hope you guys can forgive the minor character changes, and hope you look forward to the whole extra side of the plot this added to. i'll you now to ponder on who the mastermind is.

bonus points to anyone who can guess what my favorite line to write was.

oh, and review please!

PS. i changed the title, i like the new one better


	8. Picking up the Pieces

...only a little late, right guys?

please don't be angry?

...i love you?

sorry it took me a while guys, this chapter really didn't flow too easily, for some reason, but anyway, i've kept you waiting long enough, so enjoy...

* * *

Picking up the Pieces

Link's eyes cracked open slowly, wincing when the afternoon light streaming through the tent flap struck his eyes. He sat up slowly, ignoring the searing pain that flashed through the wounds on his chest and shoulder. _Where in the Dark Realm…?_

And then he remembered what had happened. The battle with the imposter yesterday, followed by the encounter with the Varvarray, and… _Oh goddesses._ The Master Sword had been destroyed! Shattered before his very eyes. Link fell back against the pillows, all strength gone from his arms. He slowly raised a hand to his face, covering his eyes. How? How was it possible? The Master Sword was the most powerful artifact that Hyrule had ever produced. And yet, it had been destroyed. It was gone. Done. Link's most trusted and used weapon.

The sword had been an extension of himself. He had been the only person in existence who could wield it. Ever since he had pulled it from the stone all those long years ago, he and the Master Sword had been completely inseparable. Sure, he hadn't carried it with him all the time, especially after Ganondorf had been sealed. But that didn't change the fact that they were connected. He had always been able to feel the ancient blade, lying in wait for its master to return to once again wield its deadly edge. And now he could no longer feel that connection.

Link heard breathing and glanced around until he spotted Navi, sleeping away on the top of his pillow. Link slowly drew himself back to a sitting position, being careful not to wake the small fairy, and placed his head in his hands. What in Farore's name would he do now? How in the hell could he possibly fight whatever this evil was without the aid of the Master Sword? He didn't have long to contemplate this, as he heard voices approaching from outside of the tent.

"-eed to move out now, Your Highness."

"I told you that we are waiting for Link to wake up, General Kavt."

"But, Your Majesty, we-"

"You've only just recently reoccupied Lake Hylia! Why must you push on so quickly and recklessly?"

"Because, Milady, the troops are in high spirits. We've managed to reclaim two territories that just a few days ago were impossible to take back. If we wait too long, the soldiers will became restless, and the morale may drop again."

"I see your point, General, but Link will not be unconscious long, he's rather tenacious."

"Why is he so important? Why must we wait for that man to wake up?"

"May I remind you, _General_, that without "that man" Zora's Domain and consequently Lake Hylia would still be under dominance of the enemy?" Link levered himself off of the cot and to his feet, wincing and covering his bare torso with his hand when pain forked through his wounds. He strode confidently, albeit slightly shakily, toward the tent flap, throwing it back as he emerged into the afternoon sunlight.

"Be that as it may-"

"There's no need to worry, General," Link said, drawing both the monarch and the military man's attention to him. "If the queen was insisting you wait for me, then you no longer have to wait, you can move the army now."

"Goddesses…you recovered from those injuries already?" Kavt asked. He turned to Zelda. "You really weren't kidding about his being tenacious were you?"

Zelda let a small smile grace her lips, but her eyes never left Link's face. "No, I wasn't. If you'll excuse us, General Kavt, Sir Link and I need to talk." The general sighed and began to move off. "Oh, and if you see the rest of the Seven Sages, could you send them this way please?" she added. Kavt nodded before disappearing amongst the camp, already belting out orders. Link…" Zelda said gently as she moved to him. "How…How are you feeling?"

Link stared down into her eyes. "Do you want the honest answer or the one that will keep you from worrying? I know which one I would rather give you, but I'll let you choose."

"The honest one, please."

Link sighed and looked up at the sky, a brilliant blue that felt somehow wrong following a horrendous night like the previous. The sky should have been dark and stormy, like Link's head. "I feel terrible. My wounds are painful, though mostly healed. Which, by the way, who did that?"

"Saria, she had a spare potion on her."

"Ah, always can count on her."

"Link…"

"I don't even know Zelda. I feel like terrible is nowhere a powerful enough word to describe my feelings. Zelda, the Master Sword has been destroyed. The Master Sword! That was the one piece of equipment, the one companion, I thought would always stick around, and now? Now I've gotten it destroyed. Some Hero of Time I am. Destiny chose horribly when it selected me."

"Link, stop that. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was, Zel. I charged in without knowing his full strength. I didn't heed the warning that he gave me, and as a result I've managed to destroy the one weapon we had that could possibly combat our enemy." Link shook his head and glared at the ground. "May the Goddesses strike me down for being so foolish."

"Link!" Zelda took a step forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Enough! If anyone is to blame for what happened last night, it is I."

Link's head whipped up in surprise. "What? You? Nonsense, you played no part in it."

Zelda frowned. "I should've warned you of his strength. I also should've expected that the Master Sword would be weak after so much time spent away from Hyrule, from where it draws its power. And I was completely useless in the fight last night. I mean, look at you. You nearly died protecting me, again! Once is enough, you don't need to-" Her voice broke and she couldn't continue.

Link wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. "So that's what you meant by saying it was your fault. Zelda," he held her out at arms length, "that was not your fault. Nor was it your fault before. I chose to protect you, there was nothing you could've done to prevent that. Besides, like you said," he smirked at her, "I'm a rather tough individual."

Zelda gave a watery chuckle. "Yes, you are. But please, Link, place more value in your own life. Hyrule couldn't stand to lose you again."

"Hyrule, hmm?"

Zelda glanced away, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "Neither could I."

He rested his forehead gently against hers. "I don't plan on leaving again, Princess."

She closed her eyes, a small smile alighting on her lips. "That's Queen now."

"You'll always be the princess to me." Zelda laughed lightly.

"Speaking of monarchy," Link began as he pulled away from her, "how exactly do you think everyone at the castle is reacting to your disappearance? Who's running the country now?"

Zelda waved away his concern. "It's fine, I left a doppelganger behind, a magical clone. It tells me everything that's happened or been reported through our mental link. It's real enough that it's managed to fool everyone so far."

"Smart, as always."

"I was imbued with wisdom, Link; of course I'm intelligent."

"And I with courage, so of course I'm reckless."

"Touché." Link gave her a crooked grin.

Zelda was preparing a retort, unwilling to lose the small logic war, when the other sages arrived, now uncloaked and wearing the clothing that she had last seen them in, so many years ago.

"Link!" Saria's voice was a mix of joy and worry. "Should you really be moving around right now?"

"I'm fine, I've survived worse than this before, without potions, I might add."

"But your wounds are strange," Ruto said. "They wouldn't heal fully, even with my water."

"I kinda noticed." Link punctuated this statement by wincing.

"It is because you were injured by the sword of good's bane." Link gave Raura a questioning look. "Because you are the epitome of good, Link, the sword's effect on you was great. It's much like the Master Sword's effect on Ganondorf."

"I was wondering about that, the Varvarray. Why could it fight the Master Sword? I understand that it was created the same, but still, evil shouldn't be able to touch the sword, correct?"

"The Vay isn't evil," Impa said, "just as the Master Sword is not good. They are merely tools to be used by their master. They are neutral, yet each rejects those of a certain quality."

"If anyone has any evil whatsoever in their heart, Brother, than the Master Sword will not allow them to touch it. This is why only you can wield it. Only one who truly understands courage and goodness, only the Hero of Time, can wield it."

Link's eyes hardened. "_Could_ wield it, anyway. I've gone and gotten Hyrule's most powerful artifact turned into a shiny jigsaw puzzle."

Nabooru snorted. "Nicely done, Link."

"Thanks, Nabooru, really needed that confidence booster."

"What she's trying to say, Link," Saria spoke up, shooting Nabooru a reprimanding look, "is that the Master Sword isn't destroyed."

"What?"

"Sure, its physical form has been broken, but you saw with the Varvarray that the Master Sword isn't just a sword, it's somewhat of an entity, and merely shattering the blade does not destroy its power."

"So…I can still use it?"

Nabooru placed her face in her palm and turned to Zelda. "I can see why the Goddesses gave _you_ the wisdom." Zelda chuckled.

"Hey!"

"The Master Sword must first be repaired, Link," Impa stated.

"Okay, and how might we go about that? Last time I checked, I'm not a sword smith. And I'm fairly certain that no regular smith could work on the Master Sword."

"You are correct, no ordinary person would be able to reforge the blade."

"However, Brother, we are the Sages of Hyrule. We were the ones who originally created the Master Sword. We _can_ reforge it."

"The problem with that," Ruto added, "is that we need to travel back to the Temple of Time, the Master Sword's resting place, in order to restore its power."

"And doing that will force us to retract our support from the army, and just when they really need it too."

"Exactly."

"So, Link, what do you want to do?"

Link stroked his chin in thought. "We desperately need the Master Sword repaired, but if we abandon the army now, its very possible that the war will be over by the time that its finished, and thus the effort will have been for naught in the first place."

"Not necessarily."

"Ruto?"

"Well, I mean, you fought a war all on your own thirteen years ago you know? All I'm saying is that you may be able to do it again."

"Let's try and avoid that. Fighting by myself was horrendous, I came so close to death so many times. And besides, the war I fought was in dungeons, not in Hyrule Field, and against much smaller numbers of enemies. Din's fire, what should we do?"

Zelda pursed her lips. "Do you need Link in order to complete the forging?"

"No, we do not require him for the process, Your Highness," Impa stated in her ever calm and steady voice, "but it would guarantee that the sword would find its way into his hands immediately upon completion."

"If you truly do not need him, then may I propose that Link stays with the army? That way the army still has a powerful asset, and you are free to journey to the Temple of Time and repair the Master Sword. Then, when you are done, you can find your way to us once again and give Link the sword."

Link sighed. "I can't really see any other way of doing this. I guess it's decided then, you seven will head back to the temple and fix the Master Sword, while I stay here and fight with the army."

Zelda looked slightly startled. "Seven?"

"Yes, seven. I _can_ count, Zel."

"I think you misunderstood, I'm staying here, Link."

"You're a sage, aren't you? Aren't you required for the forging?"

"They created it without me before, and they can do so again."

"Zelda, you're the Queen, you shouldn't be out here, you should be at the castle keeping the country running."

"If you hadn't noticed, there isn't much of a country left to run."

"But-"

"It's because I'm Queen that I remain out here, fighting alongside my people, showing them that I'm still here and that I'm with them."

Link was silent for a moment before murmuring quietly, "I don't want you in danger."

Zelda's expression softened and she once again placed a hand on his arm. "Link, I survived in a war-torn Hyrule for seven years on my own, I'll be fine, I promise. And besides," she lowered her voice so that only they could hear, "I have you to protect me, don't I?"

"I'm not sure I'm strong enough anymore," he answered, just as quietly.

"I'm staying, Link," she said, raising her voice again. "That's final."

"And what about me?" a small voice jingled from the tent. Out flew a slightly sleepy Navi. "You're not gonna try and leave me behind as well are you?"

"I would never dream of it," Link said while rolling his eyes.

"I saw that!" Navi attacked Link, pulling at his hair weakly. He shook his head roughly, and she tumbled back, huffing in indignation.

"Now then," Rauru interrupted, "if we're all decided then I think it's time we went our separate ways. The Master Sword must be reforged as quickly as possible."

Link nodded. "Be swift and be safe." Then a sudden thought struck him. "Oh, Saria, hold on a sec." He dashed back into the tent and emerged with the black tunic and hat on. He indicated his garb. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Of course," she motioned with her hand, and the tunic and cap turned Kokiri green.

He smiled. "Much better. Thanks."

"No problem, Link." She hugged him quickly before doing the same to Zelda. "Be careful, you two."

"Try not to get up to too much molestation while we're away," Ruto decided to throw in.

Link smirked. "We'll do our best not to freak out the soldiers."

"Oh Goddesses, I was kidding!"

"You brought that one on yourself, Ruto," Nabooru said.

"Take this, Link," Rauru said, and waved his hand in the air. A bright light appeared and took on the form of a broadsword, shaped similarly to the Master Sword. Rauru snatched it out of air and presented it to Link, who took it and gave a few experimental slashes with it. He nodded his approval. "Not up to the standards you're used to, of course, but it's been imbued with our powers, so it should be stronger than any ordinary sword you would find around."

"Thank you."

"We must be going," Impa intoned. "Stay safe, Your Highness." She placed her fist over her chest and gave a slight bow. The others bowed as well and, wishing them goodbye, set off out of the camp, heading toward Hyrule Castle.

"So, looks like it's just you and I again," Zelda said when the sages were no longer visible. Navi buzzed agitatedly again. "And Navi too, of course."

"Yeah…" Link glanced at Zelda before looking away. "Zelda, I was serious about what I said earlier, I'm no longer sure I'm strong enough to protect you if things turn ugly."

"I was serious too, Link. I have the utmost confidence in your capabilities. Now," she cut off any further discussion on the topic of Link's supposed shortcomings, "let's go see if we can assist General Kavt, shall we?" Link nodded, and together they moved off through the tents, searching for the general, getting many a strange look as they did so. It wasn't everyday that the soldiers saw their queen amongst them. It didn't take them long to find Kavt. He was issuing orders to the men currently loading up the carts with weapons and armor.

"Anything we can help with, General?" Link asked as they approached.

He shook his head. "Not at the moment. I'm sure when we get moving though, I'll be able to find plenty of things for you to do."

"What is the next course of action?"

"Well, Your Highness, we're looking to move out into Hyrule Field and press on to the forest, taking anything down along the way that we need to."

"Ah, and what of the desert? The Gerudos would prove to be most valuable allies."

"Well, I sent a scouting unit out to see if the Gerudos are still even _there._ It's very likely that they were already overrun by the…what did you call them? Mannequins?"

Link nodded. "However, General Kavt, if they are still there, what exactly do you intend to do? Will you help free them or will you stick with the original plan and head toward the forest?"

"I'll have to decide that when the time comes, _if_ it comes."

Link's head turned as the sound of pounding hooves began to fill the air. He smiled grimly. "It looks like you don't have any time left to decide, General. If I'm not mistaken, that's your scouting group there, isn't it?"

Kavt looked up with a worried expression on his face. "Why are there so few? I sent out at least twice as many." The horses skidded to a halt in front of the general, and the soldiers dismounted, about seven in all. They gave hurried salutes to Kavt and, after realizing who she was, awkward bows to Zelda. Link noted that a few of the men had sustained injuries. "Report."

"Th' d'sert's inna bad way, sir."

"What do you mean?"

"Th're all over't, gen'ral. Even th' Gerudos 're trapped."

"Where is your commander?"

"Dead, sir," a soldier said as he limped over. He was holding his side, his hand pressed over a poorly bandaged wound. "Much like the remainder of our unit."

"What happened?"

"We went out and surveyed the situation like we were ordered. We found out that the Gerudos are still holding out, despite the fact that the desert is literally _covered_ in those things." He coughed violently before continuing, "They gave the enemy one hell of a fight over the gorge and made it damn near impossible to cross, from what we saw of the aftermath. They've pulled back into their fortress now though, and have managed to hold out there since. When we were on our way back, we were spotted and attacked. The commander had us ride along the edge of the Haunted Wasteland in order to lose our pursuers. We lost some to the quicksand and the rest to the enemies, but we wouldn't have made it otherwise. I took over command once he fell."

"_Din's Fire!_" Kavt swore. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "You say that the Gerudo still fight?" The soldier nodded. "How can they possibly hold out against that type of assault?"

The soldier shook his head. "They have some sort of sorcerer with them. I never knew that any of the Gerudo could posses that much raw magical power." He sucked in a breath, wincing as he did so. "But there's no way they can hold out forever. Whoever it is that keeps wiping out the majority of the enemies will eventually run out of energy."

"Perhaps not," Link murmured, looking contemplative.

"Link?" Zelda asked. "Did you figure something out?"

He looked up. "I'm not sure. It's just a hunch, and a feeling that I've had before." His left hand curled into fist, and his Triforce symbol shimmered just a tiny bit brighter. "Either way, I'll be going to the desert to aid the Gerudo and to see whether I'm right. General Kavt, I truly do not wish to abandon the army, but seeing as how the rest of my group has returned to Castle Town, if you do not head to the desert, here we will part ways."

Kavt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We'll have to leave some of the army here, to hold what we've reclaimed and to warn us should something happen."

Link smiled. "Your coming then?"

"When I set out on this campaign I planned to free all the races of Hyrule in trouble, and if the Gerudo are still out there, fighting, then I will do my utmost to make sure their efforts haven't been in vain."

Zelda smiled serenely and nodded. "I'm glad I chose you as the next Commander-in-Chief, Frederick."

Kavt's face grew slightly red. "It's been awhile since you've called me by my first name, Your Highness."

"And for that I apologize."

He waved away her apology. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Milady. Now, you men," he turned to the newly returned scouting team. "Get some rest, and tend to your wounds. You've done well, and you may stay here should you so choose." The men saluted and moved off, some to their bunks, others to the medical tent. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I must go prepare the men for the march to the desert." With that he moved off among the tents.

"What do you suppose is waiting for us out there, Link?" Zelda asked him, stepping up next to him and looking out in Gerudo Valley's direction with him.

"I'm not entirely sure, Zel. But if I'm right…" his voice trailed off. There were a few moments of silence before a soft chuckle escaped Link. "Destiny can be so strange sometimes."

* * *

**A/N:** so yeah, hope you guys enjoyed it. i wasn't too happy with the way it turned out, but if you guys like it, that'll put me at ease, please review! i really appreciate them.

and for those of you who guessed that the moon line from the last one was my favorite, you were right. go ahead and take a stab at my favorite line from this chapter. and i'm sure many of you are already speculating at the identity of the sorcerer, and i'm sure many of you already know exactly who it is.

anyway, review, and i'll do my best to get this story back on schedule, though i may be starting a third story here soon, so that could slow it a bit.

oh, and i meant to ask, do you guys feel i'm characterizing everybody right? i don't want them to appear too OOC


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